


Project Rainiel

by Zaelit



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Pre-Nibelheim Incident (Compilation of FFVII), Romance, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 166,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27013156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaelit/pseuds/Zaelit
Summary: How would the story of Final Fantasy VII change if another alien creature fell on the planet years ago, besides Jenova?The Yoshua Project R leads to the creation of a girl who appears normal but who should actually embody the power of the Cetra and equal the physical strength of the products of the Jenova Project.Rainiel doesn't know she was born from an experiment, just as Sephiroth doesn't, but their destinies run the same path and are ready to cross.- The Fanfiction is set during and before the events of Crisis Core but the events have been changed for the convenience of the plot. Some characters may be slightly OOC. There is the presence of canon and non-canon couples and OC characters. -
Relationships: Cloud Strife/Tifa Lockhart, Sephiroth/Original Character(s), Sephiroth/Rainiel Chanstor, Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough
Comments: 48
Kudos: 69





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Big big note: I'm not a native English speaker so I'm very sorry if you find some errors. Feel free to tell me where they are and I'll change them. The story was originally published on the Italian site EFP. Also, this is my first publication ever on this site.

**_PROLOGUE_ **

* * *

_Two thousand years ago, our planet was inhabited by the Cetra people. They were peaceful, human-looking people with strong ties to nature. What made them different from ordinary humans? Their gift._

_The Cetra, today called Ancients, possessed the gift of communicating directly with the planet. They could listen to it, understand it. And from the planet they could draw power through prayer._

_The Cetra lived in harmony with humans and, according to the legend, would one day lead them to the Promised Land, the new world._

_Their peace, however, was swept away, eradicated from the planet itself, and the race of the Cetra experienced its downfall._

_A meteor struck Gaia, our world, threatening to destroy it. The Cetra gathered forces to defend humans and the planet itself and, fighting to the last, managed to defeat the calamity of the sky, sealing it in the crater dug by the meteor._

_The Cetra died out slowly, letting the human race proliferate, build, destroy. Humans increasingly moved away from their connection with nature or with the planet itself. But they never stopped looking for the Promised Land._

_The meteor that struck Gaia did not accidentally fall. There was something inside it, something very dangerous. Something that would have marked drastic changes in the future._

_One day, man found the calamity of heaven, the messiah ... was it the last of the Cetra, the heir of the planet itself? The doubts arose, more and more nagging, until a new, crucial discovery was made._

_A second meteor. A second creature, which however had in no way threatened to destroy Gaia._

_Man did not understand. And, as we know, man fears what he doesn't understand. He puts him in a cage. Study it, try to understand it. Try to submit it to his will._

_And so it happened. The two creatures were taken into custody, turned inside the laboratories. Aliens, humans, Cetra. Whatever their nature, man would have discovered it._

**[1980. Shinra laboratory.]**

Long last. He had succeeded. He had worked hard, but Yoshua's secret was finally his. The product of the experiment ... complete. Perfect? He really hoped for it. Shinra's eyes were focused on him, and his projects. The first had already gone well. He had failed to recreate a Cetra, but had given birth to the perfect soldier. A human war machine, the perfect monster. And, he knew, for every monster there had to be an opposite part. A hero, a life bringer. That's why he had worked so hard on that project, making it as personal as possible.

There was, before him, a human creature in flesh and blood, but special and different from the others. It cried, screamed, squirmed. Not like the other: he had always been calm, peaceful. He had never heard him cry, not once. But it didn't matter. He had done it. A little shouting ... he would have endured it. He was so proud of himself that he would gladly kiss his reflection in the mirror. He took the creature in his hands: it was small, defenseless. It was yet to mature, but there was time for that. Now the real game started ... now he could finally become the God of Science. He could do it, he was aware of it.

A few days passed, but it was enough. He had already subjected the creature to many tests. He wanted it to survive, but also to resist what he intended to prove.

«Bring the other one over here.» he ordered one day, impatient like a child waiting to open a gift.

No replies, only actions. His subordinates left and returned quickly, silent, ready. With them, a child.

He was holding one of the scientists by the hand. He was composed, but hesitant. The back slightly curved and the forehead hidden by the hair. Tufts of silver, as clear as moonlight, and deep and sharp eyes, of an intense aqua green.

«Hold her. Don't hurt her or you'll pay the consequences.»

He entrusted him with the little creature. The boy stretched out his arms obediently and squeezed the trembling body wrapped in a pink cover. She was soft, pretty, but scared. Why was she scared? What was that man doing to her?

«The arm.» then commanded the adult. «Hurry up, give me your arm!»

He did it. Motionless, he let them draw his blood without saying a word. What could he have said in any case? He didn't understand what surrounded him. He only felt the creature tremble, then cry. He held her closer to him, as if he could protect her.

The man took the syringe to a counter. He looked at the slide. He released the blood.

It fell. First a drop, then a second. The slide below was already covered in blood, but it wasn't his. The drops fell and shone with a reddish light, then began to solidify. A small sphere found life in that laboratory.

«This is a ...!»

He couldn't resist, he was so excited. He touched it.

The sphere crumbled under his fingers.

«What the...?» He punched the table. «You're telling me that's useless?!» he continued to rant.

The boy watched him, motionless. He looked at him with his cold eyes, behind that silver hair.

«No, no. It definitely worked. It only needs more time. And a safer place.»

The scientist laughed. Then he looked at the boy.

«Give her to me.»

He pulled the creature towards him.

The boy wanted to stop him. He risked hurting her.

«Give me that baby, I said!» he repeated.

He obeyed the order. With deep hatred. How could such a small child know hatred? What had they done to him?

«Take him away. I'm done with him.» warned the man that had taken the little one back.

They yanked him.

«Let's go.»

Finally, they took him out. He wouldn't have seen that little girl again for a long, long time.

Instead, the scientist cradled her in his arms.

«I'm sure, this time I'm sure.» he chanted, delirious with enthusiasm, «You are my best result, my dear little Rainiel.»


	2. I'm gonna be a SOLDIER! / Judgment / Embrace your dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainiel is inspired by the famous war hero Sephiroth and sets off to reach Midgar and become a SOLDIER. Obviously, she'll be put to the test and will have to prove her talent. What she doesn't know yet is that she'll soon meet the idol of her entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters of the story are very numerous, therefore, on this site, I'll combine several chapters into one. The chapters contained in this are:
> 
> • Chapter 1 - I'm gonna be a SOLDIER!  
> • Chapter 2 - Judgment  
> • Chapter 3 - Embrace your dreams

**Chapter 1**

**I’M GONNA BE A SOLDIER!**

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the shadows of Midgar were far away. Darefall was a very peaceful town. That day, quieter than usual.

All eyes were on the inn’s small screen. The television was taking the signal badly, and someone was muttering nervously.

The girl made space among the people, not sparing a few little pushes, managing to slip away just before the adults grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. She crawled between the legs of the older ones and managed to reach the counter. She climbed up and smiled when she realized she could see the television.

«Has it already started?»

«Hush, hush! It’s coming!»

«Yesterday they did nothing but talk about that boy. I wonder what kind of person he is…»

The girl put her finger on her lips and blew. Why did they have to talk so much? Here finally the screen was starting to give signal.

The reporter’s words sounded broken, but equally clear at times.

«… who has already accomplished many important… »

The owner hit the TV with the palm of his hand.

«… very young and promising SOLDIER. We’re going to interview him. Here he is, he’s coming this way!»

Who was further back stood on their tiptoes to peek. In the midst of that crowd, people struggled because of the heat. They were all sweaty and breathless, but nobody cared. Everyone was watching the television with bated breath.

After a little interference, a tall, thin young boy appeared on the screen, with long silver hair gathered in a ponytail. He had an imperturbable and calm air, but an enigmatic gaze. His eyes met the reporters’ camera and they shone coldly, they looked like those of a white viper.

«Excuse me… an interview… »

The TV did not decide to find a balance for the signal.

«… Despite being so young, you’ve done deeds that continue to inspire dozens of other young people. Could you introduce yourself to new viewers?»

The thin-eyed boy slowly blinked. The microphone came up to him, someone behind him laughed and urged him to speak. With a sigh, he accepted.

«My name is Sephiroth, SOLDIER first-class.»

He didn’t say anything else. He turned his back on the journalists who followed him to ask him more questions but a group of soldiers prevented them from bothering him.

The girl observed the whole scene, gasping. A sense of admiration struck her like a strong gust of wind.

Behind her, her peers commented on what they saw.

«How handsome! Did you see him? What a mysterious look… » sighed infatuatedly some girl.

The boys, on the other hand, toyed with wooden swords carved for them by their parents.

«Could it be that you girls only care about that? Sephiroth’s a hero! He’s extraordinary strong! I want to become a SOLDIER like him, too!»

«With that wooden sword? As if.»

«Let’s make a deal. If I become a SOLDIER, will you marry me when we grow up?»

«Um… I’ll think about it.»

The girl paraded beside that group and ran home, energetically entering and hearing the greeting of her mother who called her in the kitchen.

«What’s the matter, Rain? You’re particularly lively today.» her father asked, looking up from a newspaper.

She jumped up on the dining table chair and rocked her feet.

«I know what I want to do when I grow up!»

«Oh, you do?» Her mother came over and kissed her forehead. «And what will you do?»

«I’m gonna be a SOLDIER!» she exclaimed without second thoughts.

Her parents looked at each other.

The father cleared his throat.

«Honey … the SOLDIERS… »

«They’re heroes! And I want to be a hero too!»

The mother smiled.

«You’re very good in fighting, that’s true. But I doubt that the SOLDIERS accept little girls in their ranks… »

«That means I’ll be one of the firsts.»

Again the father and mother looked at each other for a long time to decide together.

«Embrace your dreams, Rainiel.» the latter whispered, stroking her reddish hair. «If you really want it, one day you’ll be a hero.»

The father sighed and took a seat at the table.

«But now you have to eat. If you don’t get big, you won’t be able to join SOLDIER.»

Rainiel showed a toothy smile, grabbed a spoon and fork and began to eat.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**JUDGMENT**

How many years had passed since Rainiel made that decision? Becoming a SOLDIER… a lot of people laughed at her, considered her insane. Not many girls had ever been seen in SOLDIER, and becoming one of them was no small feat.

She had worked very hard, she trained every day for years. She was stronger than all the girls and boys in her hometown, more promising than many of her peers. And so her parents had let her go and wished her luck.

She had never visited Midgar before. Since her arrival, she had been subjected to various types of tests, which guaranteed her good physical and mental health. She had also passed all the exams and training sessions, as if they were auditions. Then, they had summoned the best recruits to the battle simulation room inside the Shinra palace. They had summoned her.

There were many people in there. Young people from all over the world, of all kinds. There were the boastful and the shy. She felt quite calm. She couldn’t lose her temper if she wanted to embrace her dreams.

Superiors joined them and explained to them what they should’ve done that morning. The recruits had to fight with each other, like in a real war, and the lasts to remain standing would finally have a chance to join SOLDIER.

An all-against-all battle. She had to prepare.

Rainiel tightened the grip of her two Aikuchi swords. She had commissioned them to a very capable locksmith, paying with the savings of a lifetime. They were longer and sharper than normal Aikuchis and, therefore, were also more lethal.

But in that battle no one should’ve killed anyone or they would’ve missed the last chance to become a hero.

When the superiors left the room, a battlefield, an abandoned city, materialized around the recruits. A countdown… and the battle began.

Sword against sword, steel against steel. Everyone fought according to their own techniques and teachings received. They were all strong and capable.

Many thought that the only girl present could be a good target to start thinning out the number of rivals, so they attacked her.

She made them regret this choice. She was the best in that room, and perhaps she had always known. She was more agile and stronger than a normal person, as if she weren’t human at all. A red lightning bolt that bounced from one surface to another, striking anyone it saw. She didn’t really hurt any of them, just hitting them hard enough to knock them out.

And, at the end of the test, she remained the only one standing. She was tired, sweaty, torn. She threw herself on the ground and recovered her breath, her heart threatening to burst into her chest.

“I did it?” she asked herself incredulously.

«I did it!» then she answered herself, shaking her arms and legs.

The city around her vanished and she found herself back in the simulator.

A group of soldiers and doctors came in and started dealing with the losers.

Further afield, in a room full of screens, two people with folded arms watched in wonder what had just happened.

«She’s gutsy, no doubt about it.»

«Or maybe it’s just the beginner’s luck.»

«Luck doesn’t lead you to knock out fifty armed men.»

The man on the left, with blue eyes and straight black hair, rubbed his chin and continued to defend the girl.

«She has what it takes to become a SOLDIER.»

The other, thinner and reddish-haired, sighed.

«She’s a girl.»

The door behind them opened and a third man entered with a light step. The edges of a long black leather jacket almost touched the ground, the silent boots trampled the floor in wide strides. Behind him, a cascade of long silvery straight hair rocked left and right with each step. His gaze was low, calm, and he only looked up when he reached the two friends.

«Found something interesting?» he asked calmly, stopping in the space between the two.

The slimmer one gave him a look.

«Angeal asked me to watch the latest test of this year’s recruits with him.» he explained.

The other nodded once and bent his back, placing his hands on the table in front of him to bring his face close to the screen.

«They’re all on the ground. Don’t seem so promising to me.» he commented with disappointment, raising an eyebrow. «Do you seriously find it interesting?»

Angeal, on the left, tapped a finger on the monitor.

«Look better. They’re not all defeated. See this recruit?» he pointed to him.

Rainiel was still lying on the floor, a satisfied expression on her face.

The SOLDIER focused the image.

«That’s… a girl.»

«Heard it? He feels the same as me.» the reddish-haired friend gloated.

«I’d say to give her a chance. What does it matter if she’s a boy or a girl? You saw what she’s capable of.» Angeal insisted.

The other gave him a vaguely resentful glance and shortly afterwards turned his back on him.

«In any case, we don’t decide, right? It’s the hero right here that should make a choice.»

The raven-haired turned to look at the other friend.

«Genesis is right. As a General, the duty is all yours. What do you think, Sephiroth?»

The young man with long silver hair remained silent for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on the screen, on the figure of that curious girl who had shown to have quite unique abilities.

«I’ll give her a chance. Just one.» he agreed, closing his eyes and getting up.

Genesis stiffened but didn’t say a word.

Angeal put a hand on his friend’s shoulder next to him.

«So, what are you planning for her?» he asked.

On the face of the other a short grin arosed with a slightly arrogant tone.

«You’ll see.»

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**EMBRACE YOUR DREAMS**

Rainiel had received an unusual order. She was resting in one of the rooms in the Shinra building set up for the temporary stay of the recruits, when employees showed up at her door and told her to go to the simulator for extra training.

She hurriedly got ready and grabbed her Aikuchis, spending the little trip to the simulator floor wondering what would await her this time.

When she arrived she looked around: she was alone. It was a little late for a training, and she feared she had gone to the wrong floor or been the target of a stupid joke. Reaching the simulator door she sighed and put her hands on her hips.

«Should've imagined it. This time I fell for it.»

A small speaker hung in the corner of the entrance began to transmit sound, a voice.

«Enter the simulator, recruit Rainiel Chanstor.» someone ordered.

Rain jumped, stepped back, and looked around anxiously. She hadn't see cameras around her, but they were certainly hidden everywhere.

She pointed a finger to her chest.

«Are you talking to me...?»

«Do you answer to the name of Rainiel Chanstor?»

«Yes, that's me.»

«Then it's obvious that I'm referring to you. Enter the simulator.»

The door opened and Rainiel walked into the hall, hands close to the handles of her daggers. She was frightened again when the door behind her closed, sealing her in the simulator.

Soon, the environment around her turned into a large verdant clearing, the dark sky above her head. She didn't know what place it was, but she smelled trouble in the air. A distant noise pushed her to draw her weapons and prepare for the fight.

"What's going on, here...?" she wondered.

She didn't know who had summoned her so far, but the voice that had spoken to her had a familiar tone, even if she didn't remember its owner.

The noise came closer and suddenly something fell strongly behind her, throwing her into the air.

Rainiel lost one of the swords and landed on the ground on her knees, biting her lips to bear the pain. She raised her head and found herself facing a war machine, a Shinra war robot. It was huge and dangerous, ready to unload its bullets on her.

The girl realized she was in trouble. She dodged the first barrage of artillery and took refuge behind a rock, trying to think of a way to defeat her enemy.

When the boulder started to crumble, she threw herself into the forest and let the tree trunks shield her as she ran. A bullet hit her shoulder and she had to stop for a moment and pat the wound, but she had no time to waste.

She continued to go around the war machine and reached a blind spot: she stuck the blades in the wheels to slow its movements. She dodged its bullets again when it turned and went back to hiding behind a tree.

«Are we... Are we sure this is the normal initiation procedure for recruits?» she commented to herself, sarcastic.

A moment later she returned to attack. She attacked the enemy several times but could never get close enough. Another bullet slammed into her leg, burning her skin, but she didn't give up.

After several minutes, with a mighty jump, she climbed up on the robot and hit a tank with one of her swords to then reach the head of the machine and attack it in turn. The opponent started shooting wildly, in every direction.

"This time I'm going to die..." she shivered for a moment before using the robot itself as a launching pad.

She jumped, landed several meters away and took cover behind another rock.

When the bullets hit the tank of the war machine, it exploded with a horrible din. Pieces of metal darted in every direction and Rainiel dared not leave her safe spot.

Keeping her hands on her head to protect herself, she could only calm down when the simulator returned to show itself for what it was, with its blue dome and cold floor.

«Huh?»

Rainiel stood up, patting the wound on her arm. Now that the simulation was over, it seemed to hurt less. The blood soon stopped flowing, she'd recover quickly.

The simulator door opened again and she ran out.

«Hey, whoever you are, are you crazy?!» she barked against the speaker at the entrance. «I could've been killed in there!»

There was a moment of silence, then the voice returned to be heard again.

«Let's meet on the office floor. We shall wait for you there. Don't be late.» it was the last thing she was told.

Rainiel stamped her foot on the ground.

«A bunch of bored SOLDIERS, I bet. Do you find it so funny to go after us recruits?» she continued to blame them before she reached the elevator. «Okay then, I'll be right there. Let's see what excuses you'll offer me.»

The elevator took her to the designated floor.

Rainiel crossed the corridors, whose transparent walls let the lights of Midgar glimpse many meters below, and soon she found herself in front of three men sitting comfortably around a table, on some leather sofas.

«Did you three call me?» she snorted approaching. When she did, however, she froze suddenly.

She knew those people. She had seen them on television years ago. Their faces were on all the newspapers.

«Sit down.» the man turned his back on her, patting the arm of the sofa next to his.

Rainiel did as requested and looked at the three men in amazement.

«I introduce you to Angeal Hewley and Genesis Raphsodos. And I am... »

«Sephiroth!» the girl preceded him, her eyes bright with admiration.

The SOLDIER pierced her with his glacial gaze, closing his lips.

«... General Sephiroth. It's an honor, sir.»

Genesis laughed.

«At least she's well informed.»

He got no response, and Sephiroth leaned back on the sofa.

«We summoned you to the simulator to test your skills. We couldn't help but notice you during the last test.» he explained.

Rainiel felt the desire to suddenly vanish. She had spoken in a tone far from adequate to them, in front of the speaker.

Angeal continued the speech.

«We believe you can join SOLDIER, young Rainiel. Results like yours have never been seen before.»

«They... believe.» Genesis corrected him, bored. «And it's not the first time we've seen something like this. Sephiroth passed the same test with similar results years ago.»

«Exactly.» Angeal insisted, «We're talking about Sephiroth. The best SOLDIER to be know.»

«Best SOLDIER... » Genesis muttered under his breath, then left the conversation.

Sephiroth continued to scrutinize the girl.

«Just for you to know, you've passed the test. That's true, SOLDIER represents an elite of mostly warrior men, but one's gender has very little to do with talent. And your skills satisfy me.» he calmly informed her.

On the contrary, Rainiel was trembling with emotion.

«What I'm trying to explain to you... » Sephiroth sighed, hoping not to regret that choice, «is that I recommended you for the third-class. You'll soon be promoted to SOLDIER. And I'm sure... » he turned to his reddish-haired friend, «That it'll be good for Genesis to have an apprentice.»

In chorus, Rainiel and Genesis opened their eyes wide and exclaimed:

«What?!»

Angeal laughed heartily and, closed his hand into a fist, raised a thumb.

«Welcome to SOLDIER, Rainiel. Now the real effort begins!»

The girl felt time slow down, her heart skipped a beat.

She had succeeded. She had embraced her dream. But the real adventure began now.


	3. The ascent / New mission / Mentor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Over time, Genesis and Angeal disappear one after the other. Rainiel and Zack will have to face a very dangerous mission alone, but they may encounter an unexpected hero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters in this are:  
> • Chapter 4: The ascent  
> • Chapter 5: New mission  
> • Chapter 6: Mentor

**Chapter 4**

**THE ASCENT**

Dreams don’t always come true. And not always, when they do, they turn out to be like we expect them to be.

It wasn’t so different for Rainiel: she believed that becoming the apprentice of Genesis, one of General Sephiroth’s best friends, and one of the strongest and most famous SOLDIERS of all time, would be an honor and a great step forward in her career as a warrior. She had also told about it to her parents over the phone. She hadn’t seen them for a month, when she was assigned to Genesis as an apprentice, and she wouldn’t have seen them again for a long time. Darefall was a distant town and getting there from Midgar would have required whole days of travel and a quite big cost. They, however, were delighted for her: she had finally become a third-class SOLDIER. There were also many other recruits with her, but those who hadn’t made it were even more. All in all, her career had taken off in the best way and she was about to begin the ascent that would’ve led her to join the first class. It wouldn’t be easy, but it didn’t matter. She had to do it anyway.

The rumor of her success spread to Darefall and this covered her with pride. She was the first SOLDIER girl of which they had news, a very important record for her.

In reality, little did she know about how the golden situation in which she believed she could finally wallow would change.

Genesis was an absent teacher, clearly listless. He had no desire to train anyone other than himself. Most of the time he didn’t show up for training and, when Rainiel managed to meet him, he was always immersed in the reading of a work entitled Loveless. He recited it aloud, lost in confused thoughts, without paying attention to the rest of the world around him.

He trained her for a few weeks, then started not showing up. Within a few months, Rainiel had no more opportunity to train with him. And then, after some time, Genesis disappeared completely.

There was a rumor that he had deserted Shinra and SOLDIER, but there were no further news of him.

Rainiel was confused, almost feeling guilty for what had happened. All sorts of questions were asked, questions she didn’t know how to answer.

One day, while crossing the corridors on the floor of the rooms dedicated to the SOLDIERS’ accommodation, a curious boy stopped to talk to her.

“You’re Rainiel, aren’t you?” he asked blocking her in the middle of a corridor.

She looked at him from below, confused.

“Have we met before…?”

“Not exactly. Let’s just say that I know you. Actually, everyone here knows you at least a little bit. You’re one of the first SOLDIER girls, third class, the student of Genesis!”

The boy had thick black hair, a little messy, and big bright blue eyes.

“Listen… I don’t know where Genesis went, if that’s what you want to ask me.” She sighed, now accustomed to those questions.

He shook his head and hands in front of him.

“Oh, no no! I hadn’t even thought of asking. Rather, I had an idea in mind. If you know Genesis, you probably also know Angeal, right?”

Rainiel bowed her head, confused but interested.

“Of course. He’s part of the great trio of SOLDIER. Even though it’s no longer a trio.”

“That’s the guy. Well… I’m his apprentice!”

The boy rubbed the back of his neck, with a smirk on his face.

Rainiel blinked quickly.

“Are you serious? I didn’t know he had a pupil…”

“He could have two, though!” he continued, “Your potential would be wasted without a formidable mentor. I know you’re a promising warrior who might be able to get to first class, so… I could ask Angeal to train you too!” he proposed.

The girl would’ve liked to jump for joy.

“Would you really do that?!”

“Of course yes! And it’d also be convenient for me to have someone to train with besides Angeal!”

“That’d be great! Really, thank you, um… well… sorry, but I think I forgot your name…”

“Ah, my fault! I didn’t introduce myself at all!”

The black-haired boy held out a hand.

“My name’s Zack Fair, nice to meet you!”

She squeezed his hand cheerfully.

“Well, you already know me… but, anyway, I’m Rainiel Chanstor. Pleasure’s all mine!”

That meeting marked the beginning of an important and lasting friendship. When Angeal accepted his pupil’s proposal, the two young SOLDIERS started training together and honing their skills. In a short time both managed to be promoted to the SOLDIER second-class obtaining important awards.

The first missions also began, and they achieved the first successes.

In a few years of her career, Rainiel began to make herself known in Midgar not only as one of the few girls in SOLDIER, but also as a promising warrior, capable of accomplishing great achievements.

Zack became her best friend, but Rainiel also met other people inside the Shinra Tower, which turned into her primary home.

She befriended a Turk recruit named Vaneja, whom she rarely saw due to training, and an apprentice scientist and laboratory assistant named Jadin. The three girls were very close and, at times, they managed to find some time to reach the city center and do some shopping together.

Another person Rainiel met was a younger boy, Cloud Strife. She shared a lot with the young soldier: both came from a small town far from Midgar and both had been inspired by the deeds of the hero Sephiroth, so they had decided to try to become a SOLDIER.

Unfortunately, however, Cloud had failed and had been drafted as a simple infantryman, although Rainiel was sure that one day he’d be able to join her division.

Those were serene years, full of commitment and great satisfaction, and then… the situation precipitated again.

Angeal also deserted and disappeared. Impossible to understand why, but his departure greatly disturbed Zack, who left several times in missions that often included his search. Sometimes he was even joined by Sephiroth.

Not long after, Genesis and Angeal were considered missing and Zack returned to Midgar empty-handed, without ever telling too much about his experiences.

This time, both he and Rainiel had found themselves without a mentor, but their skills had already matured enough to allow them to advance through the ranks of the SOLDIER division on their own.

Whole years passed from Rainiel’s promotion to SOLDIER, years that passed as fast as the water of a torrent flows.

All in all, the girl felt she could continue to pursue her new dream, that of becoming a first-class SOLDIER.

She hoped several times, however, to have news of the hero who had inspired her.

She hadn’t spoken to Sephiroth since he made her Genesis’s student, even though it was he who recommended her as a SOLDIER.

That man seemed to live in a dimension isolated from the rest of the world, inside a dome of thick mystery. He looked like a war machine, born only to fight. As if he had no emotions.

Rainiel really wanted to confront him, who had been her idol since she was a child. She almost felt as if a kind of feeble bond brought her closer to that man, as if their destinies were about to collide.

Once again, her intuition proved to be right.

One day she received a mission different from the others, one that would’ve set in motion a series of very significant events.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**NEW MISSION**

The mission required maximum urgency. Rainiel returned to her room in the middle of the afternoon and hurriedly put on her uniform, preparing to face any obstacle that stood before her.

Before going out she looked in the mirror, as she used to do before any departure, and took a deep breath looking at her eyes, of an intense and unusually bright blue color, inside the reflection.

«Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honor as a SOLDIER!» she repeated to herself.

She was very attached to that phrase. Her mother had been the first to tell her this and, by repeating it, she felt her closer. She hadn’t seen her in a very long time, although she had been able to visit her once or twice since her promotion to SOLDIER.

Also, Angeal and Zack often repeated the same thing to her. She knew she was able to follow her dreams. She never had to stop embracing them, never ever.

She grabbed the Aikuchis and left the room, reaching the Shinra helicopter landing pad. There, one of them was about to leave, piloted by her friend Vaneja, who had officially joined the Turks since a few months.

Two other people waited on the runway, ready to go. One of them was Zack, with the large Buster sword hanging over his back. Rainiel knew he had inherited it from Angeal, the previous owner of the weapon, but she didn’t know the details of his disappearance.

The other young man waiting in front of her was Cloud, still an infantryman of Shinra, with the helmet already worn.

She approached, finishing fastening one of the last straps she had forgotten to tighten.

«Hello, Rain!» the black-haired boy cheerfully exclaimed when he saw her.

She smiled and raised her arm to give him a high five.

«Hi, guys. So, I heard that we met our match this time, huh?» she tried to inquire.

Vaneja adjusted her glasses on her forehead. They were her distinctive trait, exactly like the short hair cut in a thorny and brown hairstyle.

«An unidentified creature is terrorizing the slums’ inhabitants. We have to get there as soon as possible.» she explained quickly.

Rain took a deep breath. «Unidentified creature? I can already smell trouble… let’s be careful.» she tried to warn.

«In the meantime let’s just reach the area. Saddle up, let’s go!»

Vaneja tapped the helicopter and entered it.

The other three followed her. When the propellers started spinning hard, the girl lowered her glasses.

«Destination: sector 5 slums!»

«Sector WHAT?» Zack reiterated, but the pilot didn’t hear his question.

Rainiel sat down next to Cloud and placed a hand on his shoulder.

«Hey, you look a little nervous. Everything’s alright?» she asked.

The blond boy stomped his feet and rolled his thumbs. «Yes… yes, I’m fine. It’s just that you’re both SOLDIERs and I…»

«I know that one day you’ll be one of us too. Take advantage of this mission to get noticed!»

With an affectionate nudge, Rainiel gave him the necessary charge.

The helicopter trip didn’t last long. Vaneja landed it in an area quite far from the station. There were no houses in the area, only large piles of scrap metal everywhere. The creature had been spotted just outside the city, so they walked in search of it for a while before stopping.

Zack was visibly nervous and Rain knew the reason behind this: sector 5 hosted a person very dear to him, so he was worried about her safety.

They marched without saying a word, arms in hand, wincing at the slightest squeak. However, there was no living soul around.

Then suddenly the creature showed up.

There was a mumbling din of something approaching from the east.

Rainiel crossed the blades in front of herself.

«Something’s coming, watch out!»

But her warning wasn’t enough.

A mountain of mechanical waste was knocked out in one fell swoop. The heavy and sharp pieces began to rain from the sky, right on the group of young soldiers.

Vaneja used a protective materia to create a barrier around her and Cloud, who was by her side.

Zack swirled his sword after taking a leap, cutting the largest and most dangerous scrap into a thousand other small pieces.

Rainiel could now easily kick them and reduce the risks, but she had not yet dealt with the real monster that emerged from the landfill.

It was a giant creature with greenish skin, which allowed to see the most superficial veins, through which a dense fluorescent liquid could be seen flowing. It had the shape of a large animal, several meters high, but it possessed the characteristics of more than one: the large and stocky arms looked like the heavy paws of a brown bear, while the crushed face referred to that of a pig. Its eyes were small and bright, the same color as Rain and Zack’s.

The girl looked at it in amazement, intimidated by seeing the monster emerge from the mountain of waste just destroyed.

«Damn!» Zack yelled, «Where does this giant come from?»

«I’ve never seen anything like this before…» echoed Cloud.

Rainiel gritted her teeth.

«They could at least have given us more detailed information about it… it’s a huge danger to the slums!»

She wasted no more time and attacked, followed closely by her companions. She reached the monster’s shoulder but when she tried to pierce it, its big hand swept her away and threw her straight on Zack, who was about to reach them. The two fell to the ground with a thud.

Cloud and Vaneja exchanged a look and the boy used the strength of his hands to give her the rush necessary for a jump that would get her to its head. In midair, she loaded the double pistols that she always carried with her and began to riddle the enemy with shots, but it went back to hiding behind the wreckage.

Fallen to the ground, Cloud replaced her by holding his rifle and starting to climb the metal pile to reach one of the beast’s weak points. Before he could do it, however, the latter again collapsed most of the pile, which dragged the boy away with it. Cloud dodged a large dented container that risked crushing it, but the hand of the horrible creature sent him against a wall, knocking him unconscious. Vaneja also tried to rescue him, but when the huge beast tried to step on her, the impact with the ground threw her away and, at that point, she too was hit.

Zack and Rainiel got up, massaging the hurt areas of their bodies.

«It’s… it’s frightening! It has already knocked Cloud and Vaneja out!»

Rain ran back to the monster.

«One more reason to tear it to pieces!»

Quick as lightning, she snapped on various rubble and stable pieces of metal to attach it first to the shoulders and then frontally. But nothing worked: even if the enemy was not so fast, parrying itself with its arms or hiding made her attacks in vain.

Suddenly Rain slipped from the pile on which she had climbed due to a blow to the base. As the monster crashed she tried to hit it but Zack came between the two and, when both were thrown away for the umpteenth time, he was hit by an iron pipe in flight that seriously injured him in the foot.

He tried to get up but fell to the ground with a lament: some splinters had reached the leg, which was now bleeding profusely.

Rainiel had landed on the ground and hadn’t suffered any serious damage, so she quickly reached her friend and checked his wound.

«You’re lucky as hell… a few more inches and you would’ve said goodbye to your leg!»

«A little luck never hurts… let’s see if it’s enough for me to put this big boy to bed…»

«You’re staying here!»

Rainiel used a healing materia on him, but it was still not enough to repair the entire damage.

«I’ll keep the monster busy, but you have to call for reinforcements. You should find a transmitter on the helicopter, use it to contact the nearest SOLDIERS.» she said.

Zack seemed pouting, annoyed.

«But…!»

«Just do it!»

Rainiel made sure that Zack returned to the helicopter safely, step by step, attracting the attention of the fluorescent monster in the meantime.

It was no small mission: she tried to attack from time to time, but she never managed to hit it. The best she could do was trick it into a low tunnel further east, into a space that made its movements more difficult.

In any case, when she crossed the tunnel, she discovered a talent that the enemy had not yet presented: soon flames boiled in its stomach and were spit through its jaws and sharp teeth. The tunnel became a real cannon’s mouth and, finally, the fire reached the girl and the explosion of some abandoned cans and bins injured her in several points of the body.

Rainiel sank to the ground on her arms and coughed several times, out of breath.

She had lost, she knew it. Now that the tunnel was falling apart, the monster would catch up with her and give her the coup de grace.

She couldn’t move, she had no strength. She didn’t even get a chance to drag herself away. With her vision blurred, she placed her cheek on the dusty ground and watched the giant beast come inexorably towards her.

When it was ready to crush her under its big feet, a thin and agile figure fell in front of her, like a flash of silver light. Rainiel heard the monster scream and saw its tattered skin.

She heard the sound of the metal of a blade that lashed the air with speed and then stuck in the green flesh of the creature. Then, it fell to the ground, motionless.

Rainiel tried to keep her eyes open, seeing the water-green ones of the person in front of her, but she couldn’t stay awake for long. She soon passed out… hoping she could wake up.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**MENTOR**

Rainiel woke up several hours later, on a cold but serene morning, inside a room in the Shinra clinic. She was lying on a white bed, her legs and torso bandaged, but she knew she wasn’t in too serious conditions and that she’d recover soon.

One of the doctors warned her friends and all the four of them joined her as soon as possible.

«You got us worried, girl!» Vaneja exclaimed seeing her, «You slept for almost a whole day. I was wondering if you’d wake up!»

«Could say the same about you and Cloud. The last time I saw you, that monster beat the snot out of you. I couldn’t even help you.» Sighed the patient.

Cloud crossed his arms.

«We got away with it. Zack called for help with the helicopter transmitter and a rescue team caught up with us a few minutes later. No broken bones, fortunately.»

Jadin, the lab assistant Rain had known for some time, stepped in.

«Luck’s not everything. That creature could’ve hurt you a lot. The Shinra should’ve sent a larger troop to handle the mission.»

«By the way,» the reddish-haired girl changed the subject, «what happened to the monster? It dodged all my attacks, I was on the ground and I lost consciousness…»

The other four guys looked at each other, as if deciding who’d tell the story.

Zack was the winner of that silent clash. He scratched his head and bent over the cot.

«Well… remember when you told me to contact the local SOLDIERS?»

«Of course.»

«We also had luck in that. The closest was… how can I say it…»

Vaneja pulled him on the shoulder.

«C’mon, don’t leave her hanging!»

«Ouch! Okay okay! I mean, fate has it that General Sephiroth was returning from a mission right then, going through sector 5. When he received the SOS signal, he rushed over and dealt with the beast.»

Rainiel sat up in disbelief. She also ended up getting hurt, the surprise was so great.

«Sephiroth, did you say?!»

Cloud motioned for her to shut up.

«Lower your voice! What if he hears you?»

«Why? Is he here?»

«I have no idea, but I don’t want him to hear us talk about him.»

Rain went back to talking to Zack.

«So… did he kill that monster all by himself?»

Zack shrugged.

«What did you expect? He’s Sephiroth, I saw him tear apart an Ifrit in one blow long ago.»

Rainiel moved her hair from her forehead, meditating on what she had just been told.

Saved by General Sephiroth himself. That had been the most unfortunate and fortunate day of her life, at the same time.

She hadn’t talked to him since he promoted her to third-class SOLDIER, and she had only rarely seen him: Sephiroth eluded everyone, especially from the disappearance of Genesis and Angeal. He was a solitary and independent type, but he knew how to attract a lot of attention on himself.

Rain would’ve done everything she could to confront him and prove him her worth, but she had little hope of it. The road to becoming a first-class SOLDIER was still long and perilous, she was sure of it.

That afternoon, however, she had an unexpected surprise.

Night was already falling, the sky beyond the closed windows was on fire and the sun already vanished beyond the walls.

A doctor opened the door to her room and cleared his throat, drawing her attention.

«Rainiel, you’ve got a visit.»

«What? I thought the visiting time was over…»

«He’s… an important guest. Can I get him in?»

«I guess so…»

Rainiel rose slowly from the bed, holding on to a metal bar to keep her balance. She had already recovered more than the doctors expected her to do.

When the doctor returned, he let the man who had decided to visit her pass.

And when Rainiel recognized him, she felt her legs heavier for a moment.

«I’ll leave you two alone, I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.» Warned the doctor, closing the door behind him. Leaving alone in that room she… and Sephiroth.

The young soldier had a darker expression than the last time Rainiel had spoken to him.

She immediately stiffened to greet him formally, arms tight against her torso and feet together.

«Don’t push yourself. It certainly won’t help you heal sooner.» He ordered, advancing.

«Sir… to what do I owe this honor?» she tried to ask, her throat dry with embarrassment.

He looked around a little.

«I found you near in sector 5 landfill in horrible conditions, chased by an unidentified beast. It’s not an honor, Rainiel, I just wanted to know if you’re fine.» He explained.

She blinked quickly, stammering a few words.

«Do you… do you remember my name?»

«I remember anyone who managed to get my attention.» Sephiroth pointed a finger at his temple and tapped it before crossing his arms over his chest, covered only by two black straps and the SOLDIER emblem. «And this is the second time you’ve succeeded. That monster was not a trivial enemy. You managed to keep it at bay for quite some time, saving the lives of your companions.»

His was not a complement, just an observation, but Rainiel felt extremely proud.

The SOLDIER’s gaze lingered for a moment, after which he turned his back on her, walking to the opposite side of the room.

«You were the apprentice of Genesis, and then of Angeal too. You learned a lot from them.» He remembered.

Rainiel nodded vigorously. Although the trainings with Genesis had not been many, those with Angeal had been very significant.

«For how long you didn’t have a mentor, Rainiel?»

Rain jumped at that question.

«Well… I don’t remember exactly, but… It’s been a couple of years now.»

«And you still intend to become a first-class SOLDIER like when you enlisted in the Shinra?»

«Yes sir!» she replied with great vitality. «Becoming a hero has been my dream since I was a little girl. I want to do it at any cost.»

«Then you’ll need a mentor. One who follows you closely and who refines your skills. And above all, that stops you from being killed…» he judged, returning to observe her.

Rainiel bowed her head in confusion.

«I don’t understand, sir. Who’s this mentor?»

Sephiroth took a deep breath.

«Haven’t you figured it out yet?» he asked boredly, «It’s me. I’m asking you to become my student.»

It was the crucial phrase: Rainiel fell back on the bed, her legs had not held the weight of her emotion. She sat staring at the void, stunned.

General Sephiroth, the best warrior the Shinra had ever seen, a nationally known hero… had just asked her to become his apprentice.

Rain had followed his exploits from the slightly battered old TV of a small bar in her town, dreaming one day that she could be worth at least as half of him. And now not only could she meet him and talk to him face to face: she also received such an important offer.

Sephiroth was waiting. He didn’t reveal any emotion with his pale face crowned with light gray tufts.

«So?» he repeated, hoping for a quick reply.

«It’d be…» Rainiel trembled with joy, «It would be a dream come true, sir.»

«I’m taking it as a yes.» He commented. «I’ll notify you when we can begin training, but it won’t happen before doctors have confirmed your total recovery. Got it?»

«Absolutely yes!»

«Excellent, then.»

Sephiroth reached the door.

«We need SOLDIER of your caliber, to lose a potential like yours would be a terrible waste. And if you manage to replace even me…»

He sighed but didn’t continue the sentence.

«Nevermind. I’ll let you rest, Rainiel. See you soon.»

Rain was so thrilled that she even forgot to reply to the greeting. When the SOLDIER disappeared into the corridor she grabbed the phone. She had to tell everyone else. Her parents too.


	4. Decisive strike / Doubts and secrets / R-12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth has asked Rainiel to become his pupil, but the girl will have to prove that she can stand up to even him. During their first training, the General mentions something that catches the attention of the young SOLDIER girl, who begins to investigate with her friends about a curious mystery that surrounds the Shinra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters contained in this are:
> 
> • Chapter 7: Decisive strike  
> • Chapter 8: Doubts and secrets  
> • Chapter 9: R-12

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**DECISIVE STRIKE**

More than a week had passed since the day Rainiel and her friends faced the monster. The girl had recovered almost completely: the medical treatment of the Shinra clinic had miraculous effects and she, for some reason, seemed to be able to regenerate faster than the average.

One evening she had received a notice, a message on her cell phone from a number she didn’t even know.

“ _Our trainings will begin tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be waiting for you at the simulator at 2.00 PM. Don’t be late._ ”

The message was signed “S”, and certainly Rainiel didn’t need much research or thinking to understand who wrote it.

She rested blissfully until the following morning, the day she bought new training clothes. When she finished wearing the band with the SOLDIER emblem about an hour after having lunch, she reached the simulator as she was told.

She had told her friends that Sephiroth had personally chosen her as his pupil, and the reactions had been manifold.

Cloud envied her more than ever, doted on Sephiroth, he’d have paid all the gold in the world to train even only once with him, while Zack was simply happy, even if a little nostalgic. He missed Angeal, just as Rain did, but she still needed a mentor. Vaneja was worried about her: she had explained to her that Sephiroth was not a dear and kind guy, and certainly had no intention of making friends with SOLDIERS of lower classes. He was cold and distant, with his air of haughty detachment from everyone, mixed with a veil of melancholy.

Rainiel would’ve come to know him better during their lessons. She was sure that her meeting with Sephiroth had not been an accident. In one way or another, they always ended up going the same way on the most important occasions. Maybe that was why the general was so intrigued by her.

Reached the simulator she entered it without second thoughts and, as she imagined, she found Sephiroth already inside of it. He was kneeling, with the long Masamune katana in his hands just above his legs.

Rainiel found that weapon impressive: it was perhaps twice the length of the man who wielded it, but he did not seem to struggle to handle it.

«Good afternoon, General.» she greeted formally.

The SOLDIER with long, straight light hair got up calmly. He looked at her for a moment in silence, before dropping his eyelids on his eyes.

«You’re in time. Good to know.»

Rain suppressed a smirk. The first impression was the most important, wasn’t it?

«Just so you know…» her superior continued immediately, without waiting for her answer, «… the DNA of the monster you faced in the slums of sector 5 was analyzed in the laboratory by Shinra scientists. Apparently its body was oozing mako energy from every pore.»

Rainiel blinked, confused.

«Mako energy? But then it means that the creature was created by…» she stopped.

«By Shinra. Exactly.»

«I don’t understand…» Rain put her hands on her temples. «Why are you telling me this? Isn’t that confidential?»

A sneer flashed on Sephiroth’s face for a single instant.

«It is. But you faced that creature, just like me. Think of it as proof… of the trust I’ve chosen to put in you. And don’t disappoint my expectations.»

The Masamune moved with a quick stroke and was aimed straight at the girl’s throat, who, due to the sudden fright, couldn’t even move to move backwards.

«I sincerely hope that my intuition isn’t wrong. Do you want to show me your skills, Rainiel?»

The girl swallowed and the tip of the katana touched her skin.

«Of course!»

«Then fight me.»

The Masamune was withdrawn with a dry and rapid gesture and placed on the left side of Sephiroth, who brandished it with a dark smile on his face. He looked rather haughty and arrogant, but that tone of sadness never left his gaze.

Rain knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. Sephiroth was much, much stronger than she was. He had more experience, had done nothing but fight since he came into the world. How much blood did that man have on his hands?

The girl pulled out the Aikuchis and clenched her teeth. She crossed her arms in front of her, ready to start, her gaze determined.

The soldier’s grin widened.

«I’ll make it easier for you, since it’s your first training with me. To win, you just have to hit me at least once.»

Rain dropped her arms softly.

«… Modesty isn’t your strong suit, am I right?» she snorted.

«On guard.» he exclaimed without answering. He didn’t even let her some time to work out the sentence she heard, because he moved less than a second later.

He moved to the right in a gust, swirling the sword with precise movements of the wrist. His hair floated like the gray silhouette of a ghost in the wind.

Rain hadn’t followed his movement, so she just jumped to get away and avoid being hit, but the SOLDIER deflected his trajectory with a touch of the boot against the floor and appeared right in front of her. Instead of attacking with the blade, to reduce the damage, he attempted a lunge with the hilt of the weapon.

Rainiel lowered herself and slid to her knees crawling a few meters ahead, avoiding the blow. She got up giving a push with her arms and with a pirouette she returned to face him, but Sephiroth had already passed to the next attack: he didn’t even give her time to catch her breath.

This time he attacked with the side of his sword, but one of the Aikuchis blocked the attack. Not being enough to counter the man’s frightening force, Rain had to use the other sword as well, crossing both in front of it. Eventually she put her feet on the ground, but Sephiroth advanced and she was pushed back as if she were a very light cardboard box.

Eventually she found the strength to push him away and performed a somersault as she jumped away.

Sephiroth cut the air next to him with the huge Masamune and stretched out an arm, provoking her while with a movement of the hand he invited her to come forward.

Rainiel felt the anger. She was a very competitive girl and she didn’t like it when someone made fun of her, and so she only played the game he wanted to drag her into.

She threw herself headlong against him, almost growling, and swung holding a sword in front of her chest and one behind her back to create a very dangerous metallic vortex.

Sephiroth had to do nothing but jump and land on the opposite side and, when Rainiel stopped turning, he blocked her arms behind her back with one hand, while with the handle of the katana he brought her to bend her neck.

«Impulsiveness is a warrior’s worst enemy. What did you think you were doing, attacking me without even thinking?» he scolded her, with his typical calm and contained tone of voice.

Rainiel snorted in frustration and dived forward, almost hitting his hand with a kick. She landed like a cat on the ground and turned, throwing one of the Aikuchi straight into his face.

It was enough to bend his neck a few centimeters to avoid the sword which, completely harmless, only tore off some hair. Sephiroth took on an offended expression and ran a hand through his long hair, checking that they weren’t too damaged.

Rainiel was shocked: did he have so much self-confidence that he stopped the fight to take a look at his perfect silver hair? She’d make him regret that choice.

He was distracted, perhaps. And she took advantage of it. She approached him with a silent lightning movement, aiming at his shoulder.

The man’s snake eyes captured her in an instant. The blow would’ve been parried, but it didn’t matter, because Rainiel’s idea was quite different.

When he raised his arms to defend himself, she crouched and again she let herself slip, passing right between his ankles, through the black cape he was wearing, and appeared behind him.

With a smile, she attacked with the last weapon left, but Sephiroth was very quick and turned before she could even blink, hitting her side with an elbow and sending her away.

Rainiel hadn’t considered this possibility and soon found herself on the ground, the Aikuchi about a meter from her.

Sephiroth approached slowly, his chin high and his eyelashes low on his eyes.

Rain didn’t waste time looking at him and, rather, reached out to take the weapon, but the challenger’s foot stopped it inexorably on the ground.

«Is this all you can do?» he asked laconically.

She clenched her teeth separating her lips and rolled onto her side to run away.

Sephiroth was so calm that his movements had become slower. A jump was enough to reach her. They were very close to the wall of the room.

Rainiel got up and started running, with bated breath. She had to think quickly. She approached the wall as much as possible and lowered herself, then with a jump she walked on it, spinning and falling just a few steps further back than the enemy who, however, hit her just as she was falling on the ground.

The sudden blow sent Rainiel against the circular wall. Her back was against the wall and she was exhausted.

Sephiroth brought the Masamune blade close to her throat, blocking any movement. He had won. He was no longer smiling, he seemed rather disappointed.

Rainiel narrowed her eyes, without saying a word.

«Looks like you’ve failed. You couldn’t…»

He didn’t finish talking. Minor but sharp pain led him to raise his eyebrows and, when he tried to retreat, he understood that the blade of the Aikuchi was pointing straight at his back, just below the shoulders.

Rainiel was not running away from him. She was running to reach the weapon that a few moments earlier she had thrown in his direction. Without being noticed, she had picked it up from the ground and pretended to be in danger to approach and hit him.

« _Impulsiveness is a warrior’s worst enemy…_ » Rainiel smiled victoriously, between one deep breath and another.

Sephiroth pulled the Masamune away from her throat.

Rain finally had the opportunity to look him in the eye. She too dropped the weapon: the fight was over.

And then, a pleased smile invaded the young man’s angelic face. He lowered his head, closing his eyes, and relaxed his shoulders.

«Very well…» he said in a low voice, «You never cease to surprise me.»

Rainiel felt incredibly proud. She had managed to impress the hero who inspired her again.

«I’m glad Angeal asked me to put my trust in you when you got to Shinra. You’re without doubt one of the most promising soldiers in recent years.»

Sephiroth wasn’t a compliment guy, which made those praises far more important than they seemed.

When he opened his eyes again, he seemed more relaxed. In his eyes Rainiel noticed something new, the same look he had given years ago to Angeal and Genesis, when they were still a famous trio of friends.

«Thank you, sir General!» Rainiel exclaimed in a voice full of pride.

He turned his back on her and started walking away.

«… you may call me Sephiroth.» he granted her. «Apparently our trainings will be more interesting than I expected. Are you ready to continue?» he asked.

Rainiel didn’t need to answer, only to move the short sword in front of her.

Sephiroth did the same with his Masamune.

He was quite right. Those trainings would have been very… very interesting.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**DOUBTS AND SECRETS**

One day, one like every else, Rainiel chose to keep company to Zack and Cloud, her dear friends, during a workout in the gym. It seemed like an ordinary meeting, which included any discussion, but an important series of events began that day. And it all started with a simple question Cloud asked the girl.

«So… how’s your training with Sephiroth going?»

Rain was doing some abdominal exercises, while a few meters ahead Zack was doing a series of tractions. The girl didn’t expect such a sudden change of discussion: until recently they were talking about rather common topics among young people of that age, for example hanging out with their friends in the city of Midgar, doing a movie night, asking tip about training. But that question moved the chat in a completely different direction, catching Zack’s attention too.

«Quite well. I’m learning a lot, so I guess it’s effective enough!» then she replied, without paying too much attention. During training Sephiroth had helped her improve her reflexes and agility. The gym was a separate commitment that would keep her in shape.

Zack let go of the bar he was hanging on and crossed his hands between them in front of his chest, emulating an annoying little voice.

«Our dear Rain hangs out alone most afternoons with the powerful and reckless General Sephiroth…» he pretended to sigh, before pointing at her. «Be honest, sweetie, what are you two _really_ doing in that simulator?»

Rain hit the ground with her back. She had become distracted because of that childish joke, and her skin had colored a shade decidedly closer to that of her hair.

«Zack!» she and Cloud scolded him in chorus, embarrassed.

He held his belly and laughed heartily.

«Oh, that was just a little joke!» he justified himself, before lowering his voice and muttering something while pretending a sudden cough. «But you can never tell…»

Rainiel ignored him, taking a deep breath.

«Speaking of Sephiroth! I can’t give you all the details, but he told me that the monster we faced in the slums was analyzed in the laboratory. And frankly, the outcome is… curious.» He added then, remembering that discussion.

Cloud stopped lifting the weights he held in his hand for a moment.

«What?» he looked like a pouting puppy, «You can’t tell us more about this, for real?»

«I’m sorry, I can’t. Sephiroth has explicitly asked me to keep it a secret, although he has told me little about it.» She sighed.

Zack scratched his chin.

«Maybe he isn’t informed about it either.»

«Who, Sephiroth?» Cloud shook his head, «Well… he’s an important person here at Shinra. Why should they keep a secret from him?»

At that point, Rainiel had a sudden illumination, a decisive thought that’d mark her future.

«’Cause maybe someone doesn’t want him to know about it…» she murmured to herself.

Zack and Cloud watched her curious and confused at the same time.

«What do you mean?» asked the second of them.

«I… I’ve already said it, I can’t tell you everything I know and, even if I could, I don’t have enough information. Maybe it’s better not to ponder about it too much.»

«Or...» Zack smiled slowly, «… we could investigate!»

Rainiel raised her eyebrows and shortly thereafter pursed her lips, looking attentively at her friend and getting to her feet.

«Oh, no no no!» she said to him.

«Why? What did I do this time?»

«I know that look! That’s the one you always have a moment before getting into some big trouble!»

«Touché.» He had to admit, but he didn’t give up. «But that’s what friends are for, right? To get you out of trouble! Plus we’ve a friend in particular who could be very useful, don’t you think?»

«Hmm? Who are you referring to?»

Zack’s little eyes had never tried to be as adorable and convincing as they were then.

«To our dear Jadin, of course!»

Rainiel hadn’t thought about it: Jadin worked in the laboratory, often on rather important scientific projects. If they had decided to ask someone for information, Jadin would’ve been a good one to start with. She’d certainly not be offended, since she knew the rest of her group of friends for years and years.

«And … what if she gets in trouble because of us?» Cloud asked, with downcast eyes.

«Don’t even mention it! She’ll only have to tell us some gossip. They’ll have no evidence to blame her even if they find out.» answered Zack.

«It’s a bad idea.» Rain sighed.

«It’s a bad idea ‘cause you really think it is…» he kept asking her, «Or ‘cause you’re afraid it might actually go well?»

Straight to the center. Rainiel knew she had lost that discussion on all fronts.

«Cloud, please help me.» she tried as a last resort.

«Actually, I agree with Zack.» exclaimed the youngest, in awe. «If not even someone like Sephiroth is aware of crucial information about the creature we’ve faced… it’s certainly something not good. Perhaps our intervention will save lives. Or at least I want to think so.»

Rain walked over to Zack and pinched his shoulder, making him wince.

«You’re a really bad influence for Cloud, y’know?»

In response she had only a bad laugh.

The words of the young infantryman, however, really stirred Rainiel. Her dream was to become a hero, to save lives and to defeat the dangers that’d come upon Midgar in the future. That monster was part of the aforementioned dangers.

Sephiroth had made her understand one important thing: that creature had been generated through experiments with the mako, for this reason it was endowed with such strength and endurance. And such experiments were typical of the Shinra laboratory, at least as regarded the infusion of the mako to the SOLDIERS. That, however, had certainly been the result of an experiment that went wrong and escaped from its cage, so for the mission were called two SOLDIERS, one of the most promising infantrymen and a member of the Turks to deal with the problem.

Had that beast really fled the Shinra labs? And why had it been created? Were there others, perhaps also in freedom?

It was no accident that Sephiroth had said it to her. Rainiel didn’t know it yet, but both shared a common feeling: a sort of existential doubt, a fear imprinted in their mind and flesh about the past. They had a dark and mysterious presentiment, as if knowing of the existence of a secret that, in some way, concerned both.

She sighed, knowing she couldn’t insist, because that wasn’t what she really wanted to do.

«Oof. All right … we’ll ask Jadin.» she said.

Zack and Cloud seemed about to celebrate, but she stopped them by lifting a palm.

«I’m warning you. We may not like what we’ll discover. Soon many things could change…»

The three exchanged anxious looks. In their own way, everyone knew that Rainiel was telling the truth.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**R-12**

«I still think this is a bad idea.»

«C’mon, Rain! We already talked about it! We’ll just ask her a few questions.»

«But what if something goes wrong? What if she isn’t alone?»

«You warned her we’d visit her, right? It’ll certainly be all right.»

«Heard that, Rain? If Cloud says so too, you can trust it. He’s a cautious guy.»

«Not when he’s with you!»

The three friends reached the laboratory floor, quite anxious. It was a rather quiet evening, the training of the third-class SOLDIERS had just ended and, being now on the weekend, the building was crowded only in the relax area and on the ground floor.

When they reached the door of Jadin’s office, they waited for their friend to come to them.

And it was she who opened the door for them. They found themselves facing a girl with oriental features, rather short and with long black hair, wrapped in a white coat.

«Guys, glad to see you again…» she greeted joyfully, then embarrassed herself at the sight of the young Cloud. She blushed suddenly, but he didn’t even seem to notice. «You seemed rather in a hurry. How can I help you?»

Zack was about to take a step forward, but Rain preceded him.

«Hmm… do you mind if we come in to talk about it? It’s not exactly an issue to be solved in the corridor.»

Jadin tucked her hair behind her ears and nodded, inviting them to her small but comfortable office, full of paperwork.

Here the three explained to her how their meeting with the mako creature had gone well over a week before, and they expressed their doubts.

«Well… we’d like to know if you can give us some more information about it.» Concluded Rainiel.

Jadin adjusted her round glasses to the tip of her nose, pretending to think for a moment.

«Well, so… yes, I might know something… or maybe I don’t, the fact is… it’s that I can talk about very little, y’know…” she stammered.

Zack and Rain’s insistence was of little use, as the scientist was convinced only once that she had listened to Cloud’s request.

«That information could be vital! We’ve faced the creature, we know what it’s capable of and we fear that there may be others. Many people may be in danger, even at this very moment.» He tried to make her understand.

Jadin suddenly flared up and sighed loudly once she heard the younger speak.

«Okay, okay… I’ll tell you what I can.» She accepted.

The three warriors sat like children waiting to hear a story.

«I guess y’all know Professor Hojo, right?» she began.

Unfortunately, Rain knew him. She didn’t remember ever speaking to him, but the slimy-looking man always looked at her insistently when he saw her pass nearby. He was a formidable scientist, but he was known for his very curious methods and his unusual… personality. Yeah, he seemed to got a screw loose but even in this case Rain felt she was connected to him somehow.

«Of course.» The other two answered.

«He’s in charge of the experiments on R-12.»

«R-12?» the guests repeated at the same time.

«The name the professor gave to the creature. I don’t understand the reason for such a title, but I’m not gonna ask him anyway.» She explained better shortly after. «Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that… I collaborated with him during these experiments.»

Zack practically slipped from his chair in surprise, while Cloud’s face bleached and Rain opened her eyes wide.

«Really?!» the girl asked.

Jadin shook her hands quickly.

«Not always, only in some phases! For example, I took part in the team that examined its DNA. But I’ve never seen the creature, unfortunately.»

«So you can’t tell us if it was created here…» Rain talked too much.

Zack and Cloud gave her a bewildered look.

«… Whoops.»

«Is that the secret Sephiroth asked you to keep?!» thundered Zack.

Cloud’s eyes grew darker. «Does Shinra do such experiments …? Do they create monsters?»

«What? No! He never said anything like that!» Rainiel defended him, «It was… only his guess, that’s all.»

Jadin’s eyes widened.

«Sephiroth? And since when did you and Sephiroth got closer?»

«That’s not what…»

«You don’t know? She and the general have been spending a looooot of time together lately.»

«Stop it, Zack, you make it look weird!»

«It’s not weird to have a crush on-»

Before he could say any more nonsense, Rain pushed him back onto his armchair and sighed, immediately turning to Jadin.

«In short… do you think you can take a look at the files concerning R-12?» she asked in one breath.

Jadin rubbed her neck, shy and a little scared.

«Technically I’m not allowed to access the files, especially the top-secret ones…»

«Please make an effort for us!» Cloud asked, suddenly getting up and approaching the two of them.

Jadin shivered and her cheeks changed color. It always happened to her when she spoke to Cloud, even if he denied everything.

Fortunately, she really couldn’t say no to that handsome young man with spiky blond hair and big, clear eyes.

«I’ll try to make an exception … but no promises.» She gave up.

Cloud smiled happily. «Thank you so much!»

After saying bye to Jadin, the three prepared to leave the office.

«Jadin… if you find out something…» Rain spoke to her, the last one to leave, «… please let me know first. It’s better that Zack and Cloud don’t know too many details, or Sephiroth might get angry.»

Jadin nodded and accepted the proposal. As Rainiel moved away, a moment before closing the door, she let out a chuckle.

«And good luck with the handsome General!»

Rainiel rubbed a hand on her forehead. Someday she’d kill Zack, of that she was sure.


	5. The Yoshua Project / What friends are for / Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Due to a shocking discovery, Rainiel's life is suddenly turned upside down. The girl begins to close in on herself and suffer, but thanks to her friends and a severe lesson from her mentor, she could find the determination necessary to defeat her demons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters contained in this are:
> 
> • Chapter 10: The Yoshua Project  
> • Chapter 11: What friends are for  
> • Chapter 12: Punishment

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**THE YOSHUA PROJECT**

The answer to Rainiel's doubts came on a gloomy early summer evening: a light drizzle cleared Midgar of the smog and brightened the sky, but she was still in her room on one of the highest floors of the Shinra Tower.

She had spent the afternoon training with her new mentor, who certainly wasn't going easy on his pupil. Her muscles ached and her head was bursting, so once she returned to her room she had decided to take a nice hot shower.

As she finished soaping her reddish hair, however, she heard a noise coming from the room and turned off the water tap to understand what it was: her cell phone was ringing.

As quickly as possible, believing it to be an urgent business call or anyway that Sephiroth wanted to tell her something important, she dived out of the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe and, after risking to slip, grabbed the phone and fell on the big bed.

«Hello?» she panted.

«Rain, I'm Jadin. Are you... are you okay? Am I interrupting something?»

«Just a nice relaxing shower, but don't worry. Did you want to tell me something?»

«Yes but... is there anyone with you who can hear me?»

«Should anyone be with me while I'm in the shower?!»

«Well, judging by what Zack said the other day...»

Rainiel snorted strongly.

«Still going on with this story? Did you all agree on making fun of me, maybe? No, there isn't anyone! I'm here all alone, what do you need to tell me?» she cut it short to avoid repeating herself on the subject.

«Okay okay! I was just asking!» she apologized before continuing, «So... do you remember the question we talked about?»

«Yes, sure.»

«You asked me to investigate, um?»

«Yesss...»

«And to inform you in case I found some information...»

«Good heavens, Jadin, now you're worrying me!»

«I'm afraid you'll have to stay anxious for a little while longer. I don't think we should talk about it over the phone. You think you can join me in a few minutes at the office?»

«Err...»

Rain glanced at the clock on the wall to the right of the bed.

«I think so. I'll come as soon as possible.»

«Great. See you later then!»

The call ended and Rain dropped the phone on a pillow.

Who knows what Jadin had to tell her about and why was it so important...

About half an hour later, the girl was in front of her office door, a few floors lower than that of the SOLDIER residences. She wore her hair tied in a high ponytail, as she had not been able to dry it completely.

She knocked and shortly afterwards Jadin openend, pulling her into the room by one arm without even saying hi.

«Ouch! What are you doing, Jadin? Is what you've got to tell me really so serious?»

«You'll have to judge this yourself.»

Her friend walked away to her desk and pulled out of one of the drawers a file wrapped in a yellow hard cover, on which the title "Yoshua Project - general notes" had been written by hand.

Jadin handed it to her.

«I haven't found much but... in here... you'll find something that will certainly interest you.»

Rainiel sat down in one of the armchairs and grabbed the very small file, which contained mostly illegible notes or curious but strange pages: one of these was occupied by a pencil sketch of a strange subject. He seemed to be a monster, or something like that, but he had a somewhat anthropomorphic shape with a male physique. The big shoulders, what appeared to be barely mentioned breastplates, a wide neck and a head. On the latter, however, there was a monstrous face, with large eyes and feral pupils, a wide mouth and even hair that framed his face. He had no hands or legs: it seemed that they had cut him off and hung him on something.

At the bottom right, on the same sheet, the word "Yoshua" reigned.

«What... is this?» she asked almost horrified.

«I... need to ask you to keep reading.» Jadin advised her, holding her own arms, evidently worried.

Rain began to feel a strange presentiment, so she ventured into reading the following cards. Some were mathematical codes, others further sketches of the same strange creature.

And then, finally, the annotations she was looking for. She began to read them aloud.

«July 14, 1983. Unidentified alien creature is found inside the crater of an extinct volcano. It is taken to the Shinra laboratories for analysis and recognition. The results show that it does not belong to any known terrestrial race... Jadin, did Shinra seriously find the body of an alien and drag it here?!» she exclaimed terrified.

«And there's more...» she gestured at her to continue reading, and so she did.

«July 20, 1983. The creature will be labeled with the name of Yoshua from this day onwards. Tests with no results are carried out on Yoshua, then we proceed with the recognition analyzes. August 15, 1983: Yoshua's DNA is compared with that of the predecessor Jenova. August 17, 1983: DNA tests do not have similar results: although they resemble each other in appearance, the two creatures do not belong to the same species.» Rainiel stopped and blinked hard. «Jenova? And who would it be?»

«I've no idea. I never heard that name before today.»

Rainiel went on, turning the page.

«August 24, 1983. Plant life forms were created in the liquid in which Yoshua was immersed. Plants are subjected to various types of experiments: it turns out that they are very common marine algae. Yoshua is moved to a second containment chamber. September 4, 1983: new marine plants are born in the liquid of the Yoshua chamber. No matter how many times the liquid or chamber is changed, the algae always come back. September 8, 1983: Yoshua's DNA is compared to Cetra DNA. First traces of a possible similarity between the two creatures. Yoshua is labeled as a Cetra creature.»

«Cetra...» Jadin sighted, ≤This could almost explain the birth of life forms in the water that contained it.»

«But the Cetra... the Ancients went extinct thousands of years ago!»

«I know... but the document doesn't lie: the DNAs are very similar to each other. Perhaps they compared it to some Cetra remains.»

Rainiel began to sweat cold and continued reading.

«September 29, 1983. Yoshua's DNA is extracted and infused into a lab subject. The animal dies within a few hours of degradation. The test will be run again with changes. October 1, 1983: The subject is infused with mako energy to the maximum extent and then subjected to Yoshua's DNA. The subject seems to show strong vitality. Flowers of various species are born in the display case. The subject dies within a day of degradation. The subject's body is not supposed to be suitable for Yoshua's DNA. October 12, 1983: The test is carried out again on animals of various species: a rabbit, a dog and a tiger. The three animals are in excellent health. The rabbit dies within two days of degradation. The dog and the tiger show great vitality and the already mentioned gift of manipulating nature. A week after the experiments, physical and character changes begin to manifest. Animals are getting bigger and more aggressive, their physical strength has doubled. The tiger managed to free itself from its cage this morning and attacked one of the laboratory assistants, who died torn to pieces. Both animals are killed. The request to retry experiments on other animals is rejected.»

Rainiel swallowed hard.

«What the heck did Shinra do? And who wrote these notes?»

«I've no idea... I found the file by accident while I was looking for more about the R-12 case in the laboratory archives. I don't know if it has to do with the creature you faced in the slums, but believe me... it'll interest you anyway.»

«November 11, 1983. After pressing requests, the Yoshua Project is authorized to proceed to the next level. The use of the alien creature's DNA on animals or humans already alive is prohibited. Human DNA from an anonymous female volunteer and from Yoshua is taken. The Yoshua project passes to the second phase of Cetra replication with mako infusion...»

Rain turned the page and blanched suddenly, hoping she had misread. She reread the same line over and over again, confused. Finally she decided to pronounce it out loud.

«... The Yoshua Project R: Project Rainiel, begins.»

The file fell from her hand, bouncing to the ground in a whirlwind of pages.

Jadin put her hands in the hair.

«The file ends here. I didn't find anything else... This file should be in the top-secret section but someone must have moved it by mistake...»

«Project Rainiel...»

The girl stared blankly at nothing in front of her for almost half a minute, without even managing to think. Then, suddenly, she got up and picked up the file, quickly leafing through the papers inside, tormented by the sight of that hideous creature.

«Project Rainiel. Project... Why the hell is this project named after me?!» she began to raise her voice and get nervous.

Jadin tried to calm her down.

«Lower your voice! Maybe it's just a coincidence but...»

«November 11, 1983.» she repeated agitated, showing her the date on the sheet, «It was more than twenty years ago! A year before I was born! You see? 11th of November. I was born in the August of 1984. Nine months after the start of this project!»

«I... I really don't know anything else about it. I know you wanted to know about the R-12 creature, but I thought having you read this dossier before returning it was the best thing to do.» Jadin justified herelf.

Rainiel continued to leaf through the small agenda with trembling hands. She read all the pages over and over again, all the notes, watched every sketch and every calculation. She found nothing else. In the end she lifted the file and threw it against a wall.

Jadin ran to pick it up.

«Calm down, Rain!» she insisted, «Getting angry is not the way to solve things! Rather, try to focus! You've a family, a country of birth far from being near Midgar. It must be a coincidence!»

Rain thought back to her childhood: the Chanstors, her family, lived in a village called Darefall, far from the platform. Her most distant memories found her at seven, maybe eight years old, she didn't remember much of her life before then, if not some confused scenes. From what she could imagine, she was born and raised in Darefall. No experiments, no Shinra, no Yoshua.

But then why did that project bore her name?

Rainiel wasn't exactly a common name. It had ancient origins and, those few times that as a child she had asked her parents about the meaning or the reason why they had chosen it, the answers obtained were null or at least too vague. She had no means of research and couldn't help but wonder why this coincidence.

Always assuming it was really a coincidence...

Jadin's hand touched her shoulder.

«I've to go back and deliver this file. Do you promise me you're going to rest now? You need to sleep, we'll take care of it tomorrow night.»

Rainiel sat down, caught her breath, tried to reason. Finally she nodded.

She didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to behave or what to believe.

She really went back to her room, but sleeping was practically impossible. Her thoughts were constantly tormented by the image of that alien... that creature called Yoshua.

In the night she got up to rinse her face. Looking in the mirror she lost herself in her own eyes. They closely resembled those of Sephiroth. Those of the first class SOLDIERS.

But she wasn't a first class SOLDIER. And she certainly had never received mako treatment.

Who was she really? What was she?

What did "Project Rainiel" mean?

Unfortunately, she wouldn't have found the answer so easily. At sunrise, still sleepy from not having slept, she got dressed and dragged herself out of the room.

Maybe it'd be really difficult to sleep on it...

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR**

That morning, Rainiel went to the closest bar to the SOLDIER residences, the same one where she met her friends most mornings.

Each of them always took the same dishes: Cloud liked pancakes, Zack waffles or muffins, Vaneja instead always took her usual cappuccino at eight in the morning. Only Rainiel often changed her menu: sometimes a hot milk, other times a light smoothie. That morning, however, she had to order three hot coffees to stay awake.

She had horrible dark circles and a scared expression on her face.

None of her three friends had touched food that morning. They were all staring at her, who kept her elbows on the table and had obviously forgotten to brush her hair before going out.

«Um... Rain?» then Zack began, «Are you okay? You don't seem like yourself today.»

Rainiel jerked her head up. She had stayed up for more than twenty-four hours, but she'd get used to it. She was a SOLDIER, and SOLDIERS had to be able to resist sleep, right?

«I'm fine. I just didn't sleep tonight.»

Cloud bowed his head.

«Yeah, that's for sure...»

Vaneja sighed.

«You'll get wrinkles too soon if you're always so stressed. Come on, tell us what happened.» she spurred her on.

Zack chuckled.

«Maybe Sephiroth ditched her on a date? Or did he break up with you on the phone?» he kept insinuating to annoy her.

However, Rainiel wasn't in the mood for jokes that morning. She just sighed and raised her hand, ready to order the fourth coffee. Vaneja forcibly forced her to lower it or she'd have made her sleep with a kick.

«Sephiroth has nothing to do with it.» then she explained, «It's... a more complicated matter.» she just said.

«Whatever it is, you can tell us.» said Vaneja.

Cloud nodded vigorously, with her.

«Even if it were a weird conspiracy theory that could be about my true origins?» she offered it in one breath.

Zack grabbed one of the empty coffee cups and looked at the still stained bottom.

«Okaaayyy... so what exactly did they use to do this coffee?»

«Seen?» Rain shrugged, «Just like I said. Maybe it only makes sense in my head and that's where it should stay. »

«Ignore the idiot.» Vaneja hit Zack's shoulder with a slight punitive slap. «We're all ears, no matter how absurd the story is. So what happened?»

Rainiel leaned against the back of the chair and looked away.

«Jadin made me read a file that dates back to more than twenty years ago, or the year before I was born. Without revealing too many things that could get us into trouble, I'll just say that I discovered the existence of a rather particular experiment conducted here by the Shinra at the time.» she pointed a finger at the table, «Project Rainiel.»

«Rainiel?» Cloud jumped.

«That is... a project that's called like you?» Zack asked..

«Unusual, isn't it? It'd be less if it was called Mary, or Sarah... and instead it's called Rainiel. Absurd as a coincidence, don't you think?»

«And do you know... what was this experiment about?» Vaneja asked.

«Unfortunately yes.» muttered the other, «But I can't tell you about it. Just know that it could reveal a lot... about my origins.»

«Your origins?» Cloud seemed very confused. «I thought you were from Darefall, and that both of your parents lived there.»

«That's what I thought too, until yesterday evening.» Rainiel crossed her legs under the table. «And now... it seems that twenty years of life have blown to hell suddenly. I didn't even have the courage to leave a message to my parents this morning.»

Zack realized that Rain was on the verge of an existential crisis and suddenly became more serious. Although he didn't always prove it, he was very fond of his best friend.

«And do you think finding out more would help you accept the truth, whatever it is?» he asked her.

Rainiel frowned.

«Maybe. Or rather... I wish I hadn't discovered what I discovered, but now I'm in a situation that I wouldn't even serve to my vilest enemy. I want to know everything about my past, but I might not like this 'everything' at all. At the same time, though, I think it's better than not knowing anything. I don't know who I am... what I am... since I read that file.»

Cloud, Zack and Vaneja looked at each other, worried about her. Was she starting to go crazy?

«Then we'll solve it in the quickest way.»

«Which way?» Cloud asked.

«Investigating!»

The dirty look reserved for him was a general gesture.

«Seriously, Zack, have you ever thought you could become a detective instead of a SOLDIER?» the reddish-haired friend asked sarcastically.

«It was our investigations that brought us to this point.» the other friend reminded him, sitting on his right.

«And they could even get us out of this big trouble, y'know?» Zack cleared his throat and lowered his tones.

«You said you read a file about Project Rainiel, right? We just need to get into the top secret archives and take a look around.» he quickly explained.

«Oh, really? And how do we get there, we just teleport there in a cloud of pink smoke?» Vaneja teased him.

«You already know how, but since I'm obviously the only one here with some logic as well as a fervent imagination like yours, I'll repeat it to you.» he opened his hands as if he had just surprised someone. «Jadin!» he sounded like a bell.

Rainiel leaned her forehead against the table, discouraged.

«We'll get killed. All of us.»

«But it's still worth trying!» Zack insisted, «Think about what we can find in there.»

«Uh-huh...» Vaneja pretended to be interested, «And how'd you like to convince her, may I ask?»

Zack pulled Cloud towards him, shaking him a little.

«But with Cloud's handsome little face, of course.» he explained, «We all know Jadin has a crush on him, even though he's younger than all of us.»

«She doesn't have a crush on me...»

«Sure why not. The thing is, you don't notice because you've got a big crush on another girl.»

Vaneja started.

«Wha-?! And who'd she be? You never told me about it!»

«She's a girl from Nibelheim. Cloud has been wooing her since he was a child. Sooner or later I'm sure he'll introduce her to us!»

Cloud disentangled himself from his grasp.

«I don't... I don't have a crush on Tifa!»

«Sure... and how do you know I was referring to her?»

«Because... you mentioned a girl from Nibelheim... even if there are many other girls there... but anyway...!»

«Going back to the main topic...» Vaneja flew over the matter, «I say it's a possibility. But not if all five of us want to go.»

Rainiel sighed and pulled herself up again.

«So we really want to break another thousand rules just out of curiosity?» she asked.

«In the name of friendship!» Zack jokingly justified himself.

«Then I think you two must go.» Vaneja pointed to both. «You're SOLDIERS. If they caught you, it'd be easier than explaining what the heck an infantryman and one of the Turks are doing in the archives of the Shinra laboratory.»

Rainiel and Zack exchanged glances.

«It'll be dangerous.»

«I've done far more dangerous things.»

«Are you sure? If it goes wrong, your dream will fall apart.»

«But if we don't, you'll spend a lifetime trying to understand who you are and where you really come from.»

Rainiel thought a lot about that phrase. She knew he was telling the truth.

«Then we'll do it. I'll notify Jadin that we'll be with her tonight to get the key.»

«Yeah... but first get some rest.» Vaneja ordered her. «Don't you have to train with Sephiroth this afternoon?»

Rainiel wanted to disappear.

«... I had totally forgotten it.»

«Then reach your room, get some chamomile tea and tuck yourself under the sheets until lunchtime. Last thing we need is Sephiroth considering you worse and prevent you from continuing as his student...»

That idea startled her.

Rain jumped up.

«You're absolutely right! I'll rest, before collapsing as I land my final strike in the simulator!»

After greeting all three, she returned to her room and sent the message to Jadin, then set the alarm for lunchtime.

Before she could even realize it, now with the clearest ideas, she sank into the pillows in a deep sleep.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**PUNISHMENT**

Rainiel's afternoon training didn't go well.

At first she just warmed up her muscles, but when the time for sword training came, Sephiroth noticed that she wasn't concentrating at all.

The room had been transformed into a sort of rocky ground, with the sight of a volcano in the distance, which certainly didn't help the girl to forget her problems for a few hours: after all, the creature named Yoshua had been found in the crater of an extinct volcano.

The air was warm and the ground was steep and full of spikes, aimed at having to represent precisely one more obstacle for the young woman, who in fact struggled to move or catch her breath. The enemies chosen were little monsters, one or two shots of the Aikuchis were enough to knock them down, but they were countless. Rainiel had the impression that for each one who she threw down from the side of the mountain, three more came to replace it.

Sephiroth would've completed that level with his eyes closed, she knew that. And she didn't want to disappoint him, but she wasn't at her best.

She had managed to sleep maybe three or four hours in the morning, ending up skipping lunch, and had just enough time to do some quick commitment before reaching the simulator where he was waiting for her.

To make matters worse, Yoshua's figure and thought haunted her. She could no longer think of anything else... only of that creature, that alien. That project that bore her name and that, for some reason, seemed to want to reveal a truth velied for two decades... she had always felt different from the others, from every point of view... could it be because of that?

This hesitation cost her dearly. A monster jumped on her shoulder, pulling her hair while another bit her leg by piercing the fabric of her uniform's pants. She lost her balance and, although she managed to get rid of the creature on her back, she was unable to cling to one of the rocks of the wall and, while on the distant volcano there was a puff of lava, she fell down the side of the mountain, falling down a cliff and not being spared at all by all those spikes that had annoyed her until recently.

That was just one of the possible scenarios generated by the simulator, but the pain she felt hitting those stone spikes was real. If she had suffered too much damage, she could even have ended up in the hospital unceremoniously.

Her fall stopped only when something firmly grasped her waist, blocking her and dampening the speed she had acquired. At first glance it seemed to her that it was an arm, which dragged her onto a safer stony shelf, away even from the ash that the eruption of the volcano was rejecting. She was glad that someone had brought her to safety, but her gratitude for the mysterious author waned when he dropped her on the ground like a deadweight.

«Ouch!» she complained when she hit the ground with her elbows. She felt the taste of dirt between her lips.

«Get up.» a stern voice commanded, which certainly had no intention of adapting to her most comfortable time schedule.

When Rainiel did as asked and began to brush the ash from her hair, her blue eyes met the quite angry ones of Sephiroth, who was looking at her somewhat impatiently.

Rain knew she was in trouble. Sephiroth was a perpetually calm though not too permissive man, and once one had managed to make him angry - which was not easy, since he preferred to avoid provocations and annoyances of all kinds - it was difficult to escape him and his punishments.

He didn't have a grudging expression, but the icy touch of darkness in his eyes suggested that her results hadn't satisfied him at all.

«Sephi-»

«I said,» he repeated, interrupting her, «Get up.»

Swallowing in fear, Rainiel did as asked and pulled herself up completely.

One of the monsters had the unhealthy idea of jumping from the precipice to get on his shoulders with a scream.

Sephiroth raised the sword in a single movement, condemning to death the enemy who fell on it due to gravity. Even before it realized that it was killed by the cold kiss of the Masamune, the latter snapped again and the monster was thrown away, with a spray of blood.

Rainiel looked stunned, hoping never to suffer the same fate.

«Explain yourself.» he resumed giving orders to her, because he had obviously observed her entire fight, which had certainly not gone well. Maybe he couldn't understand why the same girl who had in some sense managed to deceive him and had cornered him in their first training, was now not even able to take out some weak little creature.

So she rubbed her neck without even having picked up the swords first.

«I... made a mistake. I put my foot down badly and-»

«This fall it's the last of your problems.» he thundered sternly, managing to sound threatening while never raising his tone. «I want to know what's happening to you, Rainiel. Your mind is somewhere else, there's no doubt. Are you not interested in becoming a first-class SOLDIER anymore?»

He seemed to have his pupil at heart, or at least the idea that she'd reach his levels. Since Genesis and Angeal had disappeared, he had been caught in the sight of the crowds: Sephiroth carried the weight of the entire world on his shoulders, where everyone claimed that he was strong enough to protect them but nobody cared about how alone he was.

«Of course I am!» Rainiel reiterated. She knew she was dead wrong, but she wouldn't let anyone step on her dream under the soles of his shoes.

«Then prove it to me.» Sephiroth took two steps back and raised the Masamune towards her. Inviting her to fight. Against him.

Rainiel gritted her teeth. She could do it, right? She had managed to hit him, at least once, in their initial combat.

Perhaps this thought was her downfall, as it led her to place too many hopes in herself while still being far from matching the General SOLDIER's skills.

Realizing the silent invitation to battle, she lowered herself in a lightning bolt to collect her weapons and took a run to reach him, deviating her trajectory at the last second and launching herself against the wall. Here she used her legs to strike her and give herself the impetus in such a way as to reach his side. Another rumbling of the volcano led her to remember that annoyance that tormented her.

Sephiroth's boot hit her straight in the ribs: Rain was sent back against the wall and here the Masamune pierced the stone perhaps only two centimeters from her throat.

Sephiroth watched her with head-on and tight lips, his eyes half-closed engaged in judging her.

As he pulled his katana away, Rain rolled onto her side, albeit a little stunned, and jumped off the rock where they had found shelter to throw herself on another, several meters lower. Before she even reached it, however, Sephiroth had thrown himself against it: he destroyed with a clean cut the rock, which crumbled as soon as Rainiel put her foot on it.

The girl fell and hit the ground again, unable to move.

She felt Sephiroth's hand squeeze her wrist and start to lift her as if her body were a feather: the SOLDIER was tall enough to lift her in full simply by reaching out an arm.

«Don't you think you're overdoing it, Rainiel? If you let your guard down it's because you're sure you can win. Do you think you're winning?»

«Uh...»

Her vision was blurred, perhaps she had hit one of the rocks with the back of her head. The memories of the papers and documents contained in the file made her tremble.

«Answer me.»

«I surrender.» she relented.

It was perhaps the shortest fight she had ever taken part in, but it had been enough to understand how far she still had to go before she could actually allow herself the luxury of getting distracted even for a hundredth of a second from the fight.

He let her go. Rainiel fell back into the rubble and coughed forcefully.

«Talent is not all when you become a SOLDIER. You also need commitment, concentration and perseverance.» he taught her putting his Masamune aside. «You didn't show any of these qualities today.»

He bent over his calves to speak to her more closely.

Rainiel still couldn't move. It was as painful as it was stunning, because she knew that her first fight with Sephiroth had probably been just a kind of warm-up for him. If he had wanted to, he would've killed her in a matter of seconds.

A tuft of his long hair brushed her hand, tickling it, causing Rain to squeeze her fingers. Sephiroth thought she had done it out of a fighting instinct, as if she still hadn't had enough.

He kept her nailed to the ground only with the strength of his inquisitive gaze.

«Our training ends here for today.» he therefore wanted to communicate her.

The simulator returned to its original appearance, that of a large room with an equally large blue dome dedicated to covering it.

«I know you can do better, Rainiel.»

Sephiroth's voice softened suddenly.

She managed to open her eyes and return his gaze.

«There are not many SOLDIERS who deserve to be promoted to first class, but you have a good chance of succeeding. Maybe one day I might even be the one to recommend you.» he remembered to her.

Rainiel started to try to talk to him. "Really?" she would've liked to ask him, but only a small lament escaped her lips.

«Whatever the problem that plagues you, I want you to solve it and come back here to give your best. You cannot allow it to obstruct the road that will lead you to the realization of your dream. Made myself clear?» he asked.

This time, Rain tried as hard as possible to reply.

«Yes...» she breathed breathlessly, but at least she managed to talk to him.

Sephiroth didn't smile, he didn't even grin as he usually did. His face remained expressionless like a polished marble slab.

«Great. Then go, and destroy it.»

Rainiel closed her eyes. She never knew how long afterwards she reopened them exactly, if a second or an hour later, the fact is that Sephiroth had already disappeared.

She was left alone, in the simulator, with her arms at her sides, her back on the ground and her mind on fire.

Her mentor was right and she was well aware of it: the time had come to bury some demons.


	6. Broken roots / Heart of gold / No longer alone / Second chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rain knows that the Yoshua Project could affect her directly, so she starts looking for answers. What he discovers, however, may not be pleasant and above all can upset her life. When she is on the verge of surrender, only one person can help her find herself: her mentor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters contained in this are:
> 
> • Chapter 13: Broken Roots  
> • Chapter 14: Heart of Gold  
> • Chapter 15: No longer alone  
> • Chapter 16: Second Chance

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**BROKEN ROOTS**

As if the anxiety of waiting wasn't enough, Rainiel had to deal with a profound humiliation that day. She was full of bruises and scratches, muscles and bones ached as if she had just returned from the war, but none of these annoyances was comparable to the sense of shame due to her defeat against Sephiroth: not because she had lost - she knew that winning in a fair fight would've been almost impossible against him - but for the words the mentor had addressed to her. He, who was only supposed to teach her to improve her physical performance for the fight, had given her a real and rather painful life lesson.

Zack noticed it immediately when he saw a limping Rainiel approaching Jadin's office.

«Geez, Rain... what the heck happened to you? Did a train hit you this afternoon?»

«Don't rub it in.» she asked with a loud sigh, «I can tell you with certainty that an annoyed Sephiroth is much worse than a train.»

Zack started to speak, but she pointed a finger at his chest, dark in the face.

«And don't you dare make some jokes about it.»

The door to their right opened and Jadin motioned for them to enter before closing it again.

«I see you're both here, excellent. I got your message this morning, Rain, and Cloud came over to talk to me a few hours ago.» Jadin explained, adjusting her hair and glasses. «No offense but... have you lost your mind? What do you want to do in the top secret archives?» she asked.

«We must help Rain, obviously. That dossier you showed her could be the premise of a much deeper truth that concerns her personally.» Zack explained.

«It was just a name, it could be a coincidence.»

«You too know it's not like that, right?»

Jadin remained silent, as did Rainiel, while he continued to speak.

«Rainiel has always been kind and helpful to all of us. It is the right time to return the favor.»

The red-haired girl let out a smile.

«You're almost cute when you're serious.»

«I'm always cute!»

«And our Zack is back!»

Jadin stopped to think for a few seconds, after which she slipped a hand into the pocket of her lab coat and pulled out a key.

«Is that...?» Rain tried to say.

«The key to the archive.» she replied, guilty. «Hojo doesn't have to know I got it. I know that man... if we make him angry we could become his next lab rats.»

Zack swallowed a lump down his throat.

«I also took the key to his office, here it is.» she also showed them, «But you must put everything back in its place once you find what you're looking for. You have thirty minutes of time, don't touch anything other than the files that interest you. Don't go into the lab, or you'll risk running into some dangerous matters. Got it?»

«All clear.» they answered.

«I'll take you to the entrance, and after that I'll wait for you here. Good luck, guys...»

And so it happened.

It was already late at night when the two SOLDIERS broke into the archives, closing the door behind them. The scenario before them was even disturbing, as if they were inside a metal prison built to hide the secrets inside it from the world beyond those walls.

The shelves overflowed with files of all kinds, documents on hundreds of different experiments, projects, calculations, analyzes and records. Some were organized, some weren't, others were still totally abandoned in dark corners to gather dust.

Rainiel felt a weight on her heart, aware that one of those files could contain the truth about her life, about her birth. Had they really been a lie? Did she really come from a laboratory, and did she have to do with that subject called Yoshua?

Zack's hand on her shoulder comforted her, at least for a moment.

«No problem going back.» he remembered to her.

Sephiroth's words echoed in the young woman's mind. She had to destroy that obstacle.

«No, I... I want to be sure. I want to know if it's all true or if I worried about a futile reason.»

And so they continued with their research. The best idea and the quickest way was to search for the file according to the alphabetical order of the titles.

The initial idea was to search in the "R" section, but Rainiel's name never appeared. This only increased the girl's impatience and torment, so that she even came to think that she had misread the file.

No, it wasn't possible. The name of the project was Rainiel. She had flipped through those pages at least thirty times, under Jadin's gaze.

Rainiel. Project Rainiel. Or...

She jumped suddenly, dropping an agenda which she immediately put back in its place.

«What's going on?» Zack whispered worried, as he saw her darting away to a far more distant shelf.

She started looking through the documents marked with the letter "Y", which Zack didn't understand. Perhaps he had the impression that Rainiel was starting to lose her mind.

This was until she waved a document titled "Yoshua Project" before his eyes.

«... Yoshua?» he read,«And what's that?»

«The answer to all of my questions.»

They began to read the file, which was also dotted with sketches of that strange creature. Rain trusted Zack, which is why she explained what she had discovered by reading those notes the previous evening. Together, then, they ventured into this other research.

_The documents were quite clear: thousands of years ago, an alien creature had fallen on the planet. His name was Yoshua and he had traces of Cetra DNA. Some scientists had come to the conclusion that Yoshua had been summoned by the Centra themselves before their extinction, as if he were a last hope. Yoshua had shown he had a strong bond with the planet, perhaps even stronger than the gift of the Cetra, since he could give life to the ecosystem in which he was located. His imprisonment had become a barrier that limited that power to the cage in which he was held. Yoshua was therefore, most likely, a non-hostile creature, but still an alien. Perhaps, if after his discovery inside the volcano he had been left free, he could have represented a long-term threat to the human species, considered superfluous in comparison with nature and the planet... or at least so assumed Shinra. Lab subjects infused with Yoshua cells had died or turned into monsters. Finally, Professor Hojo had started Project Rainiel, a project that would've given birth to a human being artificially generated in the laboratory by the union of human DNA with the Yoshua cells and reinforced by the infusion of mako energy sufficient to bear the load of the alien creature's power. In short, Hojo had tried to bring to life a monster with the innate power to control nature around it to exploit it to its advantage. He wanted to create a war machine in flesh and blood._

Zack was upset, but Rainiel already knew a lot of that information, even though there was much more detail in the file she just found. While her friend was realising it all, she went back to looking for a document in the midst of all the shelves that concerned the Rainiel Project in particular, but without luck.

«We have about ten minutes available... maybe we should go away?» Zack proposed.

«Not until I find it!» she almost screamed, her eyes bright, «You read it too, didn't you? Project Rainiel involved the creation of a human being... a monster with a human body…»

«But we didn't find any detailed information about that project. Maybe there's nothing here…»

That sentence made a light bulb turn on in the girl's head.

«Exactly. Here... there is nothing. Think about it: who was in charge of the project?»

«Professor... Hojo?»

«Correct.»

«Oh... um... so you really want to break into his office?»

«If it were up to me, I'd sneak directly into the laboratory, but we can't risk it so much. Security will be maximum, while the office contains only a few files and we've got the key. We gotta go now.»

Although the idea seemed so precipitous, it wouldn't have been the young raven-haired soldier with the big blue eyes to prevent Rainiel from finding out more about her origins. On the contrary, he faithfully accompanied her to Hojo's office, also a cramped place.

They entered in complete silence and the search lasted a few minutes. It almost seemed that the document about the project had attracted Rainiel to itself, because in fact it was she who found it. Yoshua Project R: Project Rainiel.

«Here we go…» Zack exclaimed, waiting for her to open it. «Are you... are you really ready, Rain?»

«Not even a bit.» she replied, «But I have no other choice. It's all too important to me.»

So she started reading.

_The notes had been written by Hojo himself. They covered the various phases of the experiment, even if there were no details regarding the identity of the person who had offered their DNA for the generation of the human being who carried that name._

_The embryo had been produced in the laboratory, through a series of scientific phases that Rain didn't understand well. In any case, there had been no parent intervention, it was all an artificial process. The fetus then began to develop into a chemical liquid devoted to their growth, just as if it had been a mother's womb. Even before the baby was formed, mako energy and Yoshua cells had been infused inside them. For the first time the experiment had been successful: the embryo managed to support the cells and almost seemed to feed on them. Or rather, they assimilated them, leading the scientist to hope that they had also acquired the abilities of the alien creature. The gestation lasted, as scheduled, nine months, at the end of which, in August, the child had been extracted from the machine and officially defined as a human creature. The records identified her as a female, whose eyes already showed the first hints of a change due to the mako._

Rain shook Zack's hand as soon as she read those characteristics, which seemed to describe her perfectly.

_In the first days of her life, the girl had been subjected to many other experiments that aimed to test her physical endurance and her health. As imagined, the little girl went through all the phases of the experimentation and survived. Finally, a few months later, Hojo chose to have her meet a so-called subject S._

«Subject S?» the boy asked.

Rainiel shook her head. She had no idea who or what it was.

_Hojo's idea was to verify the compatibility of the two subjects produced in the laboratory and whose origins were indicated as different. Apparently, the two had been generated with a similar purpose but had achieved very different results._

_Hojo's interests included that of pushing the two subjects, created specifically of the opposite gender, to generate years later a creature that embodied the best characteristics of both, that is, a human being who brought together the best qualities of both parents, becoming the perfect monster._

_The union of their cells, however, hadn't been successful: it had generated a solid sphere apparently magical but which, by the touch, had crumbled. The test had been repeated several times, with the same result._

_Finally, the girl had been kept under control for a period of two years. However, she hadn't shown any characteristic that could lead back to the Cetra, nor that made she similar to subject S. Only an inability to degrade because of the Yoshua cells and an above average physical prowess were found._

_The little girl, who had therefore assumed the name of Rainiel, had been put aside. Further experiments on the creature known as Yoshua were strictly prohibited._

_Finally, Hojo decided to observe the girl's abilities in the long run, and to let her grow freely in such a way that she tested her abilities in a world much wider than that simple laboratory. When she was at least two years old, the girl was given up for adoption..._

«... to a family settled in the town of Darefall, the Chanstors.»

Rain finished reading without showing any more emotion.

Zack snatched the file from her incredulously. Again he read the same last lines aloud. There was no doubt: those were certainly the name of Rainiel's hometown and family. Or at least... everyone thought they were.

He put the file back in place, realizing that it had revealed a dangerous truth, especially for his friend. Shortly thereafter he approached her and tried to say something.

Rain looked like a ghost. Her face was pale, her lips parted and her eyes lost in emptiness.

«I...» she looked for the exact words, «I've never had a family. I only descend from an unidentified creature. I descend from an alien creature.» she realized, «I'm... a monster.»

Zack wasted no time. He hugged her tightly, holding her close.

«Don't you dare say such a thing!» he ordered, «You're not a monster! Professor Hojo is! He did those horrible things to you!»

Things she didn't even remember.

She had been created to be perfect: powerful, with a supernatural gift. When she showed the first hints of a failure, she had become a simple means of reproduction: she and that subject S should've generated a child who embodied the power of the Cetra, just because Hojo was amused by the idea of finding out what would happen in that case. Finally, when her cells hadn't proved compatible with those of the other subject and when she hadn't fulfilled the scientist's last hope, she had been sent away. She had never presented the powers he hoped for, which was why Hojo just stared at her from afar, never getting too close to her. He watched her, perhaps with a little more hope. But he knew he had failed with her, he had discovered it a few years after her birth.

«I want to get out of here.» she asked then, whispering over her friend's shoulder.

«Great. Let's leave. Maybe coming here was a mistake.»

Before leaving, Rainiel noticed a small notebook closed on Hojo's desk. His diary. Did she really notice it by accident?

She should have read it, perhaps. But she didn't. She was tired. She was so tired of everything.

She was tired because her presentiments had proved to be well founded. Her parents had lied to her for a lifetime. Darefall wasn't her place of origin... that was the basement of the Shinra palace, the laboratory of a mad scientist who had condemned her to be the offspring of a monster.

She left without touching it. Everything had returned to its place: files, keys, sheets of all kinds. But in Rainiel's heart something had changed and it would've been difficult to fix it.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**HEART OF GOLD**

The period following the discovery of her origins was far more difficult than the discovery itself. Rainiel began to show herself less and less in public, she only went out for important matters and sometimes she even ended up forgetting her trainings with Sephiroth. She no longer spoke on the phone with who she had always believed to be her parents: she didn't tell them anything about what she had learned, and she limited herself to communicating with them only through some rare message, which obviously made them worried, but she always justified herself by saying she had a lot of work to look after and little time to use her cell phone.

She also spent less time with her friends. Cloud, Vaneja, Zack and Jadin were terribly worried about her, for she no longer joined them for breakfast or went out in the town with them. In fact, she may haven't left Shinra Palace anymore.

She felt like a monster. A monster without a home, without a family, without an origin to return to. She was alone: a bright dot in the middle of a foggy sea.

When she left her residence to attend to her most important duties, the other SOLDIERS began to whisper to each other, speaking of her. They considered her a buffoon, in a nutshell: there had been so much talk about her, a SOLDIER so formidable that she was almost compared to a Sephiroth at the time of his debut. Now, however, her career was in decline. She was no longer called for missions, and now she also risked being downgraded to third class. If she continued like this, she might have even been expelled from the SOLDIER division.

Of her circle of friends, only Zack was aware of the whole truth. He was her best friend and would've kept the secret, so she wasn't afraid that everyone'd find out about her origins. The others tried to ask her what had happened to her, thinking of the worst-case scenarios: the breakdown of a relationship, the appearance of a little too early pregnancy in her life, or even a serious mourning in the family. Yet they were wrong, and no one'd ever have been able to really guess the problem. Nobody managed to breach the stone wall that she built around her to defend herself. To defend them from her.

Nobody, except maybe one person.

One day, Rain accidentally remembered having an afternoon simulator workout. She dressed listlessly and chose to be present to free her mind a little from the torment that had haunted her for a good month now. She didn't even know if Sephiroth would have showed up, as she had gone absent from the last trainings unceremoniously. It was shameful, she knew it, but her mind and body could no longer act rationally as they once did.

Dragging her feet behind with afflicted gait, because of that terrible existential crisis she was facing, she arrived at the room and passed the entrance. To her amazement, she found herself in front of Sephiroth: his arms folded, his eyes closed and his back straight. Rain knew she was about fifteen minutes late, but he had no expression on his face.

When he opened his water-green eyes again, with those pupils similar to those of a snake or a feline, Rain felt pierced by hundreds of icy spikes.

«Sephiroth...» she said shocked.

How long had she not seen his face? Weeks? And she had even stopped talking to him. She really didn't hope to see him there waiting for her after a long time.

He raised an eyebrow smoothly.

«Rainiel. What a surprise.»

«I... I didn't expect to see you here, honestly.» she had to admit, walking with her head down to him. «I thought you didn't want to be my mentor anymore because of my behavior.»

He raised his head slowly, so the two large silver tufts framing his face moved as lightly as the reflection of the moon on the water of a lake.

«And what would you have assumed it from?»

«From... from nothing, actually. I'm absent, everyone speaks badly of me even knowing that I'm your student. What would they say about you when you train such a person?»

«Let me turn the question. What would they say about me if such a person one day proved that she could reach my levels, showing everyone that they were wrong?»

Rainiel really wanted to disappear at that moment, to become so small until she no longer existed.

She felt useless, a good-for-nothing, but he still believed in her and in her dream, even though she had already put it aside.

«I don't know if I can, anymore...»

«Yet you're here today.» he pointed her out.

Rainiel didn't know how to respond. Sephiroth always managed to get around her, in combat as well as in their discussions. He won on all fronts.

Quite right. She was there because she hoped to see him again, she hoped that he still believed in her abilities. It was a desire velied in her mind that she wasn't even aware of, but really existed.

«You waited for me… every day?»

«Not the entire afternoon, of course.» Sephiroth turned away from her, walking around. «But it seems today is my lucky day.»

«I really apologize. I was pretty childish…»

«I don't need an apology. I prefer facts rather than words. I'd like some improvements on your part, and it's precisely in moments of difficulty that a soldier's true temper is shown.»

The girl jumped to attention. He had noticed it too, of course.

«Moments of difficulty?» she echoed.

Sephiroth stopped beside her. She didn't even have the courage to turn to look at him while he stared at her from above. Why the hell did she always look like a little girl next to him? The difference in age between the two was not that great... unlike that in stature.

«There weren't good news from you for a month now. It's clear that something happened.»

Rainiel lowered her head and thought about what had happened in the past few weeks. Her life had changed forever, or rather, it was her perception of it that had changed. She almost regretted that someone like Sephiroth should come to worry about her.

«Yes, well... kind of.» she sighed.

Sephiroth started walking again but stopped a few meters ahead, with his back turned. He seemed to relax for a moment. For a moment, perhaps only one, he was no longer the imperturbable and expressionless Sephiroth of all time, the one who escaped the cameras of journalists and preferred to look after himself and nobody else. For that moment... he went back to being that young SOLDIER of the past who had his friends at heart. Friends who he had lost, who had abandoned him. Friends recently declared dead in action.

«You're not obliged, but if you need to talk about it...»

He didn't complete the sentence. He evidently didn't want to expose himself too much. He was so immersed in that marble mask that he forgot he was, after all, a human like everyone else.

Rainiel herself felt a heart beat skip.

Sephiroth. SOLDIER's General Sephiroth, the best warrior Shinra could boast of and a very famous war hero... was offering her his help. Her heart tightened at just hearing that proposal.

She would've expected it if Cloud, Zack, Vaneja or Jadin had asked her the same thing. But she certainly didn't believe that Sephiroth would've had someone like her at heart.

«It's... It's a very kind thought.» then she thanked him softly, in a whisper. The embarrassment she felt at that moment was not at all annoying. «But I'd probably bore you. It's just a... family problem.»

Sephiroth looked back at her: unlike the girl, his gaze was still calm, his pose relaxed and his face far from red, but pale and immaculate as usual. The face of a real angel.

«Parents?» he guessed.

«... Yes, kind of.» she replied.

Sephiroth nodded once.

«Quite important, as a topic. Not that I'm the best one to ask... but I'd like to help you find at least a good balance. Without a little peace it'll be difficult to concentrate on training.»

Rainiel knew practically nothing about him, his origins or his parents, but she certainly imagined them as a proud couple of the son they had raised. She hadn't told Sephiroth the whole truth and would hardly have done that so soon, given the perennial detachment that seemed to have persisted between them for a long time, but to refuse such help would've been like saying no to a cascade of gold and jewels.

«Seriously... wouldn't it be a problem?»

«If it were, I wouldn't have asked you.»

Quite obvious, but still surprising.

Rain hadn't smiled for a month now. She was no longer able to do it because of her mood that made her feel empty and alone. In that instant, however, smiling was an instinctive reflection: a hint of curving lips, a very brief change of expression.

«If the General's asking, who am I to refuse?» she exclaimed ironically.

Sephiroth almost blew a tight-lipped laugh, barely lowering his long black lashes on his calm eyes.

«I doubt these are the best time and place for such a conversation.» he pointed them out. «Do you know the Ace of Spades?»

«It's a bar near Shinra palace, if I'm not wrong.»

«Some time ago I used to hang out there with Angeal and Genesis. The owner knew us and kept journalists and fanatics away.» he said briefly. «We could talk about it there, more calmly.»

Rainiel began to think that she was becoming the same color as her hair. Had she really just received such an invitation?

«Sounds great...» she managed to say.

Finally, one of the young man's typical sneers returned to appear on his face.

He seemed so thoughtful and attentive that Rain could barely recognize him. Maybe that was how he behaved with his friends once, and a nice conversation in front of a cup of coffee could've been comfortable even to someone like him.

Maybe they both felt lonely, different, unique.

«One less workout won't make a difference now, so I think we could go there tomorrow afternoon.»

His sounded like a statement but it was actually a request. Rainiel managed to understand at least this.

«Er... yes, gladly! Usual time, then.»

«As long as this time you don't make me wait for half an hour.»

«I'll try to be on time, I promise!»

Rainiel had the impression that his grin had turned into a real smile for an ephemeral instant. And she could only return it.

Thank goodness Zack wasn't there with them, or who knows what terrible jokes he would've made.

... Assuming that he didn't start to be kind of right.

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**NO LONGER ALONE**

That evening, Rain went back to spending some time with her friends. Cloud, Zack and Vaneja had thought of eating something together in one of the restaurants inside the Shinra palace. When Rainiel finished telling others what had happened that afternoon, the reactions were among the most disparate.

The best was perhaps that of Zack, who spat out the water he was drinking and almost ended up drowning. Vaneja hit him with the palm of her hand on his back two or three times, so that he recovered.

Rain covered her forehead, ready for his comments.

When he recovered, her friend pointed to her shamelessly.

«Did Sephiroth seriously ask you out for a date?!»

«It's not a date!» She shook her hands, denying everything. «It's just... a little chat. That's all.»

Zack coughed a little more and finally stabilized.

«So let's recap... you showed up for training...»

«Yup.»

«And he was there waiting for you despite everything.»

«Yeah.»

«He saw you were particularly down in the dumps...»

«... I guess so?»

«And he asked you to go out with him tomorrow.»

«Well, kind of.»

«That's a date!!!»

«It's not a- !» impatiently, Rain thought it was better to leave him alone. When Zack became convinced of something, it was very difficult to make him change his mind. Was it wrong to tell her friends that detail? For the past month she was definitely more insecure than usual and now she felt the need to talk a little with them.

«Not to prove Zack right,» Vaneja interjected, «but I think what happened is a real rarity. I mean, we all know Sephiroth, don't we? Cold, detached, pragmatic...»

«I... I think he's also quite thoughtful, actually.» Rain corrected her.

Zack held back a small joyful scream.

«You already know each other so well!~» he sang, earning her dirty look.

«What I mean,» the Turk continued, «is that he seems to care about you. I've never seen him worry about anyone but himself.»

«Or his friends...» Zack remembered, saddening for a moment at the memory of Angeal but immediately returning to being the euphoric boy of all time.

«Well, the fact is, you're very lucky, Rainiel.» Cloud sighed forcefully, lowering his head. «You managed to ingratiate yourself with a big shot here at Shinra. And not just any... but the General of SOLDIER!» he sighed, somewhat envious but not in the negative sense of the term, «I know you didn't approach him for a personal gain, but that's exactly what makes you so lucky. It seems like the right things happen to you at the right time!»

Lucky? Rain didn't feel lucky at all, knowing that she was born in a lab, not having a biological family or some roots, that she had lived in lies for all her life and was born only to satisfy the obsessions of an old mad scientist.

But, perhaps, she really deserved a little luck after that sad month of anguish. If nothing else, she understood that she wasn't as alone as she thought. Her friends loved her and Sephiroth had miniaturized that cold detachment between them. A few years earlier, she herself would have laughed incredulously if she had known that one day she and the general would've got along so well. How many could say that they had been invited to have a coffee with the idol of their childhood?

«Yup. Cloud is right. But don't worry, little one, you too will be able to have a career.» Vaneja reassured him, patting him on the shoulder.

«Although I doubt Sephiroth will ask you for a date like he did with Rain.» Zack coughed.

«Say it again and I'll make you swallow your napkin.»

«Now it's you again, Rainiel!»

The four friends broke into a happy laugh.

After dinner, then, Zack took the opportunity to talk a little in private with his friend, on the way back to the floor of the SOLDIER residences.

«So what are you going to do? Do you want to tell him the truth?» he asked while both were in the elevator. Fortunately there was no one else with them.

«Um... I thought about it all afternoon. Which isn't bad, as it helps me to distract myself a bit from my problems.» she replied, «But I really believe that if I said to him 'Hey, dear Sephiroth, do you know that I was created in a lab by the cells of an alien creature that landed on Gaia thousands of years ago?' he'd end up thinking I'm crazy. Or maybe he'd try to kill me, since heroes usually kill monsters?»

«Oh, just stop using that term! You've never done anything monstrous in your life, Rain. It doesn't matter what your DNA is or the reason for your birth. Hojo's a dirtbag who wants to play god, but at least he has brought to life a girl with a heart of gold, a good friend and an excellent warrior. »

«Zack, you... do you think that monster we met in the slums is one of the creatures that Hojo infused Yoshua's cells to?» she asked.

He thought about it for a few seconds.

«What if it were? That beast has nothing to do with you, Rain. The only thing you two have in common is being poor victims of that megalomaniac.»

Rain put a hand on the elevator windows: she could see Midgar stretch for many more kilometers, until it vanished in the dark of the starless night.

«I wonder... if I didn't have to confront him.»

«Who, Hojo?!»

The young woman nodded.

«Not a chance, it's out of question! You have to keep away from that madman, understood? The last thing we want is him getting his hands on you again.»

«I know, but... I'd like to have so many answers...» she sighed, «For example, why did he send me away at the age of two? Although I haven't shown that I possess Cetra abilities, my physical skills were above average. He could have me grown up here like a SOLDIER from the start. And then... who was that subject S?» her hand slid silently along the glass. «Maybe they're another person that underwent his experiments. I wonder where they are now, and if they know the truth...»

«Your intentions are noble,» Zack complimented, «but now you gotta think about yourself and nobody else. I'm sure whoever that subject S is, they're fine now. The discovery of your origins was a nasty business, and you need time to recover. If you care too much about others but not about yourself, how can you heal?»

Rainiel turned her back on the city to smile at her friend.

«What a poet.»

Zack ran a hand through his thick black hair.

«Well, I know my way around.»

She sighed and went through the elevator doors when they opened.

«Frankly said, Rain...»

«Huh?»

Zack stopped for a moment.

«I know Sephiroth quite well. We've been mission companions over and over again. Seriously, I wish you knew that I think he's really interested in you.» he then changed the subject, returning to talk about what was most likely buzzing in his head since she had told him about the invitation to the bar.

«What do you mean?»

«How to say...? I see how he behaves with his other subordinates. Sephiroth is by no means an affectionate type, he prefers severity and discipline. I'm not saying he's a tyrant, but he rarely addresses someone in the same way he addresses you.» he explained.

Rainiel soon covered the sides of herface with strands of hair, aware that her cheeks'd become inflamed again.

«Do you... Do you really think so?»

«Well, I never attended one of your meetings, but judging from what you tell me...»

And, of course, Rain tended to tell him everything. Also what she should have kept to herself, such as the punishment she had suffered a month earlier, when she had failed for the first time during training.

In all honesty, she didn't mind receiving those special attentions. She knew that Sephiroth was interested in her, since he had asked her to become his student. The doubt was... in what sense did he care?

Maybe she was getting her head up ahead of time, maybe she had misinterpreted a simple courtesy that her mentor had wanted to address. Maybe she wasn't even that nice to him... she had seen very well how angry he was, after all, when she had disappointed him.

Zack's smile wiped those doubts away.

«Rain precedes the rainbow, right?» indeed he insinuated.

Rainiel let out a laugh. The second of that evening.

«You're such a bad poet!» she made fun of him before they started walking again.

Yes, things seemed to be returning to their places.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**SECOND CHANCE**

Just as scheduled, the meeting of the two SOLDIERS was held the following day in the afternoon.

Rainiel hadn't met Sephiroth at all in the morning, so she had a quick lunch a few hours earlier, prepared herself and immediately left the Shinra Tower to reach the Ace of Spades, or the bar where they should've met.

The place wasn't far from there, which was why she took the opportunity to take a pleasant walk instead of using public transport. In reality she did that to reassure herself, being very nervous: it was the first time she had met her mentor outside the Shinra skyscraper, in a very informal way. How was she supposed to behave? And what would've he said to her?

Arriving at her destination, she introduced herself to a man at the door who was part of the staff and he showed that he knew her or, better said, that he had her listed among the reservations. It was supposed to be a pretty important bar, then...

Inside, the atmosphere was quite peaceful, almost rustic. The Ace of Spades clashed with the modern world of Midgar, but still managed to carve out a slice of dignified uniqueness by becoming a quiet little refuge in a large noisy land.

As expected, Sephiroth had already arrived. Rain had never seen him so relaxed and simple in his attitude: as any other young man of his age would've done, he was looking out the window pensively, his face lying on one hand, waiting.

She approached him clearing her throat, reaching him at the small table placed on a raised platform that looked out onto the window of a side street. She greeted calmly, raising a hand and waiting for his reply.

«Welcome.» he replied calmly as always, giving her a quick glance. «You're in time, I'll give you that.»

He indicated the small bench in front of him with a fluid gesture of the hand and she comfortably took a seat, while maintaining a somewhat rigid posture.

«It's... a nice place, to be honest.» she complimented him on the choice.

«It is.» Sephiroth looked back at the road beyond the glass. «I thought you needed to get away from Shinra a little bit, according to what you told me yesterday. This place is very peaceful and certainly you'll breathe better than in there.»

Rainiel showed a smirk and in a slightly nervous voice she let out a small comment.

«How thoughtful of you...»

Sephiroth looked at her almost confusedly. Of course he wasn't accustomed to similar compliments, which was why he also ended up distancing his hand and cheek.

Anxiety brutally attacked the girl, who started gesturing to explain herself better.

«I mean... what I wanted to say is... well.... I was trying to...»

To save her, so to speak, from embarrassment, was the punctual employee, who approached the table to collect their orders.

«A stoffie cained... n- no...! I meant a coffee stained, please!»

Rainiel really wanted to disappear at that moment.

«Hot tea for me, thank you.» replied the man in front of her. When the waiter left, Rain could say she saw Sephiroth grin. «You look nervous, Rainiel. Aren't you comfortable?» he therefore asked.

She tried to catch her breath and to behave. She was certainly not making a good impression...

«I'm fine, don't worry... it's just that I haven't been out for a while...»

The truth was that it was he who put her in awe. She was so determined to appear in a certain way in his eyes that she was actually getting the opposite effect.

«If it's the discussion,» he said again, «Let me repeat that you aren't obliged to do it. I just thought you needed some relax before you started training again, and I'd like to help you avoid wasting your potential.»

Rainiel raised her forehead again, listening to him while he was already watching her.

«But if you want to tell me about it, I'll try to help you solve the problem in a vaguely more direct way. I know something's bothering you.»

Rain didn't really know what to do. To tell him the complete truth would've been excessive and somewhat strange, but perhaps she could've mentioned something.

«You're not wrong... there is something indeed...»

The mentor's head barely bowed.

«If memory serves, you did mention a family problem?»

Rainiel sighed deeply.

«Exactly. Let's say it makes up a large part of the whole problem.» she ran a hand through her hair, somewhat indecisive but still willing to give him an explanation. «So, if I may ask... how'd you react to discovering that the truth about your origins is a lie?» She lowered her eyes slowly, saddened, «Well... if you found out that your parents... aren't who you thought they were…»

She asked him because she had always considered him an example to follow. Sometimes, even years ago, in moments of difficulty she stopped to ask herself: «What would Sephiroth do in this case?»

She always followed his achievements on TV and tried to draw inspiration from him, acting as she thought he would. Sometimes she came home bruised or with a fever, but certainly with one less problem to think about.

However, it wasn't a simple question. Even Sephiroth seemed to hesitate... something rare and curious at the same time. Did that question shake him so much?

«I... I think I'd do everything possible to dig deeper into the truth. I'd try to find evidence, get informed, and draw as correct conclusions as possible.» he said concentrated, stopping only when their orders arrived at the table, hot and steaming. Once the waiter had left, he started talking again. «To be honest, I think I underestimated your condition, Rainiel. I had no idea that such a thing had happened and I want to express my displeasure to you. Even if in small part, I understand your pain.»

Of course, Sephiroth had believed that the problem was limited to the simple discovery of having been adopted by a family who she believed her own also on a biological level, with a subsequent lack of trust due to the keeping of the secret, yet his last sentence attracted much his student.

«In small part?» he repeated, evaluating the situation. What could've happened to him? She didn't know his family, the news had never mentioned them and very little she knew about the private life of the great hero Sephiroth. Rain continued to believe his parents a docile couple proud of the fruit of their love's success but, it seemed, she was wrong on the whole scale. «I didn't know there were problems with your parents too, sorry...»

Sephiroth's smile grew more bitter, the veiled sadness in his eyes a little more evident.

«There couldn't be anyway. I have no parents.» he explained to her, in one breath.

Rainiel felt so guilty that she opened her mouth wide and suddenly turned pale.

«Damn, I'm sorry! I'm here to complain and you're helping me in spite of everything.» she sighed forcefully, before returning to look at him. «They... what kind of people were they? I guess they loved you very much.»

«I've no idea. I've never met them.» The SOLDIER absentmindedly shrugged his shoulders, never getting upset. «My mother's name was Jenova. She died shortly after giving me birth. My father, on the other hand...»

For a moment the young man's eyelids widened, he stopped talking and shortly after he let himself go to a bitter laugh, the first that Rain had ever heard him do.

«... Nevermind, I don't even know why I'm talking about this. We're here for you, after all.»

Rain had been somewhat affected by his sudden change. His indecipherable character continued to surprise her and, above all, something in his words had sounded familiar to her. But what exactly? She had the impression that she had already heard some of his words elsewhere.

The two took a sip of their respective drinks, which meanwhile had cooled slightly.

«So, how did you find out?» Sephiroth asked, returning to referring to the pupil's condition.

«It's complicated. Let's just say that they certainly weren't the ones to tell me.»

«And now they know you discovered the truth?»

Rain squeezed the handle of the coffee cup harder.

«... No.»

«Then maybe you should ask them the reason for this secret. They could help you learn more about your past.» he advised, «They live in Darefall, right? You could take a few days off to visit them.»

«Of course, it'd be better than talking to them on the phone... even if I'm afraid of what might happen.» Rain raised a hand to her hair and started to turn a lock of hair between her fingers. «Lately, the more I find out about my past, the more I feel like... a monster.»

«If you keep running away from your problems just because they scare you, you'll never solve any of them.»

Before the girl could reply, a sound caught the attention of both. It was the vibration of a telephone, more precisely Sephiroth's, which was heard from the pocket of his long coat.

The man didn't seem pleased to have been interrupted, but he checked who it was anyway and narrowed his eyes.

«A business call. I apologize, but I have to answer.» he said.

Rain nodded and watched him put the phone to his ear.

«It's Sephiroth. Who's talking?»

He was silent for a few seconds, giving little information on his recent assignments. Apparently the Shinra wanted to entrust him with another mission. Suddenly he frowned, his gaze lost beyond the shop window.

«... A creature similar to that faced in the sector 5 slums?»

Rainiel strained her ears like a curious cat. Apparently, the matter was very interesting and boasted a certain importance.

«Sure. It'll be done. I'll notify the first-class SOLDIER Zack Fair. When is the departure scheduled?»

The girl leaned her back against back of the bench, realizing that she'd be alone for a long time.

«Agreed. Just one last thing...»

Sephiroth's eyes met hers, determined.

«... the second-class SOLDIER Rainiel Chanstor will also participate. I'm currently in charge of her training, so she needs to follow me on the mission.»

Rainiel trembled. Had he really just vouched for her? So absurd that she hardly believed it... after about a month of disappointment and gossip about her bad behavior, she was now about to leave for a new mission involving a beast similar to the R-12 that Sephiroth had killed long time before.

When the call ended, the general of SOLDIER returned to talk to her in cold calm.

«Now you got a second chance, Rainiel.»

She pulled a lump down her throat.

«The mission is to find a monster equal to the one you faced a month ago. We'll then collect a sample of its DNA and take it to the Shinra. It could be the chance you were looking for to go back to being the person you were before.»

Rain sighed loudly and raised her head, looking absorbedly at the ceiling.

«It's not so easy. I don't even remember who I was before all of this.»

«Then it doesn't matter.» he continued, pointing to her, «You don't necessarily have to be what your past imposes on you. Who you really are and what will your future bring, it's up to you to decide.»

That phrase had a strong impact on her. It was so powerful and important that, in a certain way, she knew it'd become her motto sooner or later.

«Then I guess I can't refuse...» she recovered her mood, definitively placing the empty cup on the table.

«It'll be better if you don't, because the creature we're looking for...» Sephiroth opened the phone again, showing her a digital map that had just been sent to him as information for the contract. A red dot indicated a decidedly not so unknown area. «... was spotted near Darefall.»

The SOLDIER girl felt her heart skip a beat: at that precise moment she understood that this would be a return to her false origins.


	7. On the road / Nocturnal awakenings / The silver-haired child / Force of Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey that will take Rain, Zack and Sephiroth to Darefall begins, but one night the girl is awakened by strange noises that lead her to investigate in the woods. Here she'll have to face a powerful enemy and Sephiroth's intervention will be of vital importance. As if that weren't enough, one event in particular makes the certainties of both wave...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters contained in this are:
> 
> • Chapter 17: On the road  
> • Chapter 18: Nocturnal awakenings  
> • Chapter 19: The silver-haired child  
> • Chapter 20: Force of Nature

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**ON THE ROAD**

The departure was marked two weeks later. Rainiel had plenty of time to prepare, return to training for at least a few days in such a way as not to be completely unprepared, after which she spoke to Zack, who knew the whole truth, to share with him her insecurities about the confrontation with her parents. They were heading for Darefall and Sephiroth had been exhaustive in asking her to overcome her fears. But what she'd tell them, once she met them, remained a mystery. She'd thought about it during the trip, perhaps.

A journey that didn't even seem as short as she thought. News came from the upper floors of the Shinra that a motorized aircraft or other mechanical means wouldn't be made available to them because they could call the beast back to inhabited areas. On the contrary, they had to rent at least a dignified chariot pulled by some chocobos, so as to be quieter and not to tire due to a walk of several days. They would've reached the small village in forty-eight hours, roughly.

They'd drive the caravan and rest in turns and, first, Zack offered to fly the big yellow feathers along the right path, relying on the digital map that all three had received.

Within hours of leaving, Rain couldn't say she felt lighter. That though weighed on her like a boulder, she really needed to be distracted. This is why, when she noticed Sephiroth out of the corner of her eye approaching the back of the wagon, where she had taken a seat, she chose to strike up a conversation.

She asked for some information about the plan, although she already knew almost everything. However, he confirmed that there was no definite information about the creature and that it hadn't yet been sighted again. It hadn't claimed victims in Darefall, but could've done so, so it should be eliminated as soon as possible.

«I don't know if participating in this mission was the right choice...» she sighed suddenly, unable to help but suffer at the thought of having to accuse the people who raised her for lying to her about her birth. «Maybe I'm not really cut out to be a SOLDIER. If they downgraded me, more than one would rejoice to know.»

«You care too much about what others think of you.» he replied, grabbing a book that the wagon owner had forgotten in it. He turned it over in his hands and passed a glove over it to free it from the dust, but rested it a moment later. He'd read it later.

«Shouldn't I?»

«Yes, if your intention is to become as the others would like you to be. And others would like you to be a puppet. Puppets don't become heroes, only slaves.»

Rainiel rocked her legs from the platform she had sat on, the shadow of her feet walking the road that the dark wooden cart was leaving behind the wheels.

«I certainly cannot say that you're not convincing in expressing your ideas. Every time you give me an advice it creeps me out.»

Sephiroth bowed his head and crossed his arms over his chest, crossing his legs sitting on the long bench in the back of the caravan, to her left.

«Why?»

«You can be... disturbingly pragmatic, if I may say. Maybe you should smile more?» she joked observing him.

He barely raised the edges of his lips, as well as one eyebrow.

«Oh no, that's a grin!»

«Smiling isn't my strong suit.»

«Yeah. I've never really seen you do it, even when you were a kid.»

Sephiroth asked a question using a more curious tone.

«And how do you know?»

«Well, I always followed the news, there was a lot of talk about you! If I had known about the Silver Elite at that time, I might have gone mad. After all, it was you who inspired me from an early age.»

Rainiel dug the pit again by herself, as she used to do during their discussions. Embarrassed for what she had just said, she covered her cheek to prevent her mentor from considering her even stranger and more ridiculous than she really was.

By gradually erasing the little grin, he continued to speak casually.

«Believe me, it's a good thing you didn't know anything about it. I don't particularly like cameras and crowds of fanatics.»

«I can imagine that...» she reasoned for a moment, proceeding later, «Tell me, you... have you never had other inspirations, except this one? I know you've been part of SOLDIER since you were very young and stood out for your skills. Why did you choose to become one?»

Sephiroth also observed the road that stretched between trees and ditches until it vanished behind the wagon.

«I was raised by a scientist inside the Shinra Tower. I always knew I was different from other kids my age, for some reason... and so I understood that being a SOLDIER was my only chance to make myself useful. The real division was born following my choice, since Shinra was aware that others could serve their cause.»

Rainiel didn't quite understand what he was referring to. Was he really the first SOLDIER, at such an early age? Had he really been brought up as a war machine for the Shinra? The electric power company, so called to summarize everything it really did, was beginning to no longer convince the girl, already aware of Professor Hojo's experiments on her and, potentially, on other human subjects. She was starting to wonder if being a SOLDIER was really the right thing... but, perhaps a little stupidly, she pushed that thought away. It had always been her dream. She too had always felt different. She had proven she really was, passing every test to join the SOLDIER... and discovering she was a hybrid between man and monster.

«It's hard to make decisions... when you feel different. When you're excluded from everyone because you don't have the same inspirations, the same interests... when you've got dreams far too big.» she thought aloud, again attracting the attention of the mentor, who spent a few seconds of his time listening to her and meditating on these words, before returning to admire the sky above them, at dusk.

«Or maybe that's what drives us to make those decisions.» he therefore offered his opinion. A very melancholic and nostalgic one. «The important thing is to visualize your way, to pursue your goal. Sooner or later it's inevitable to find someone who, rather than going away, shares his ideals with you.»

In his blank gaze, Rainiel saw the faces of Angeal, the one who had trained her and Zack with so much devotion before disappearing, and Genesis, an enigmatic as well as evasive man. In their own way, those two people had had great importance in Sephiroth's life. They had been his dear friends before abandoning him without warning or an apparent reason. How much had they hurt him, letting him fall back into the solitude from which he thought he had managed to emerge with so much effort?

At the same time, however, Rain could no longer feel as alone as she feared, not in his company. Despite being completely different from her, Sephiroth resembled her undeniably. Not physically, of course: even in these terms they were the opposite of each other, and even in terms of personality this difference continued to appear. But in the spirit, in their way of feeling and being so lonely... they could've understood the suffering of the other better than anyone, but those walls they had built around themselves with time were no longer so fragile, not enough to be knocked down with a simple and gentle breath. It would've took time. A time that Rainiel, frankly, loved to spend with him. She felt better, a bit like when she was with her friends, but in a somewhat different way.

Speaking of friends, Zack intervened in the discussion with a long whistle that overtook the noise produced by the birds that ran in front of the wagon, pulling it.

«I'm sorry to interrupt whatever you're doing back there, lovebirds, but a Shinra message has just arrived!» he raised his voice to make himself heard.

Rainiel felt the unstoppable urge to strangle him with her bare hands... and immediately after that to sink into some distant sea and never be seen again. Her face changed color and at that precise moment she pretended to find something incredibly interesting in the middle of the clear sky.

Sephiroth showed another one of his small grins, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

« _Lovebirds?_ » he repeated, doing nothing but making the situation worse.

Rainiel started gesturing like a fury, stammering.

«Ignore him, please.» she managed to put together a single sentence of meaning made in all that mess.

Sephiroth closed his eyes, amused, before his long eyelashes rose and his eyes focused on Zack's shoulders.

«What does the message say?»

«They reserved rooms for us in an inn not far from Darefall. They say the situation could be dangerous and that traveling at night is not safe, so we'll stop there.» the youngest informed.

Rainiel felt her anguish grow. Another day of waiting... even more time, which she obviously would've spent wondering what she'd have said to her parents once they met.

Sephiroth seemed to read her mind, because he returned to his most comfortable position and spoke to her in a low voice.

«Just as well. Maybe you'll just sleep on it.» he recited a calm proverb that she felt she had to start hating.

She only hoped to be able to fall asleep quickly, and to solve that problem as soon as possible.

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**NOCTURNAL AWAKENINGS**

_Rainiel's sleep wasn't at all consoling as she had hoped. She dreamed of being captured in a large prison with glass walls, immersed in a strange liquid of the same color as her eyes. Tubes and cables of all kinds were connected to her and long, prickly needles pierced her skin. Her reddish hair floated in the fluid, her skin was paler than usual. Beyond the glass, someone was looking at her. A curved man, who was grinning monstrously, his face hidden by a pair of thick, pitch-black glasses. He wore a long lab coat and spread his hands on the glass as if he could pass through it and grab her, to pull her towards himself. Rainiel didn't feel safe: she recognized Professor Hojo and tried to get away, but all those tubes immobilized her. Hojo kept calling her name, referring to her as if she were nothing more than an experiment. And she couldn't move, she couldn't escape. She tried to scream, but soon that liquid ran down her throat, burning her. Hojo's face changed, becoming that of a monstrous creature, that of Yoshua, who continued to smile and call her to him._

She woke up suddenly, sweaty and frightened, with such a rapid move that she ended up tumbling down the inn bed, dragging the bluish blankets that covered her, accompanied only by a light shirt and shorts.

Massaging her head she got up, looking around: she was no longer in that prison, in that laboratory. She was simply at the inn that hosted them for that night, a few miles from Darefall. From her home. Or the one that, at least, she'd have liked to call home again.

She gradually calmed down, remaining seated on the floor and breathing deeply, one hand pressed to her chest.

«It's all right, Rainiel.» she said slowly, at least in her mind, «You're safe, don't be afraid.»

She wasn't even alone. Her room was located in the center of the other two: Sephiroth was probably resting in the previous one, while her friend Zack had certainly been sleeping for a while in the next one.

Rain had a strange presentiment, as if she shouldn't be awake at all. A strange and curious impulse at the same time suggested that she should've gone back to the sheets and sunk her face into the pillow until she went back to sleep. At dawn she'd think about her problems but, at least for the moment, she had to recover her strength for any eventuality.

And, speaking of eventualities, just when she finished rearranging the bed, one of them showed up.

A strange noise similar to the high-pitched verse of a bird of prey whipped the air past the open window of her room.

Rain jumped there quickly, without seeing anything. The only thing she saw were the foliage of the trees in the woods that stretched to distant hills that delimited her field of vision. She checked again and again, with no luck.

"Excellent... now I imagine non-existent things even when I'm awake." She shook her head, feeling her temples, disappointed. She really couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to solve everything as soon as possible and return to her life.

She started to go back to sleep, but that inhuman sound returned to be heard for the last time. Only this time it seemed much closer to the inn.

Rain didn't lose heart and looked out again, this time seeing the branches of some shrubs moving several meters from the building. It'd take perhaps five minutes on foot to get there and take a close look.

«Damn...» she swore softly, quickly putting on a long jacket over her pajamas to avoid feeling cold. She grabbed her short one-handed swords and tied them with a buckle to her sides, using a leather belt.

«It's a bad idea.» she said to herself, aware that she was being foolish. It could've been anything, any creature, even a very common owl fallen from a branch or a curmudgeon hunting. Or at least that was what immediately came to her mind.

She sneaked out of the room, trying to make as little noise as possible. She passed past Zack's room, considering for a moment the idea of waking him and Sephiroth so that they accompanied her, but she changed her mind immediately afterwards. Could it be a triviality like many others, was it worth disturbing them?

She clapped a hand on her forehead, still confused by sleep and the sudden awakening, and staggering down the stairs to reach the lobby.

An elderly lady ran the main hall and was taking care to close the entrance door with a bolt that was a little too heavy for her slender build.

Rainiel reached her in great strides and helped her lift the chain.

«Hey ma'am, what's going on?» she therefore asked.

She thanked her and smoothed the dress. She was the caretaker and should've stayed at the reception to welcome possible guests, but that night she seemed very anxious to go to sleep.

«Good heavens, what a fright! I'll ask you, little girl. How come you're awake at this time of the night?» she asked in turn.

Rain fell silent for a moment.

«Nothing special... just a few sleep problems.»

«Well, you should still go back to your room anyway. I heard a horrible noise coming from outside. I have to close the front door!» the old woman warned her.

Rain winced. Then it hadn't been her imagination at all. Someone or something was in the woods, west of the inn. And it could be anything, dangerous or not. There were houses nearby, they were in a small village inhabited by a few souls, but not for this reason those people deserved to remain at the mercy of whatever was out there.

«I'm here precisely for this reason. I heard those noises too, I'm heading to the woods to check that everything's fine.»

«Oh, damn... don't you have anything better to do? It may be dangerous!»

Rainiel smiled at her to reassure her.

«I'm a SOLDIER, ma'am. I wouldn't be one of them if I was afraid of danger. Now go and rest, I'll take care of everything.»

The old lady let herself be helped to put the heavy bolt back in its place and wished her good luck, remaining in any case little persuaded by her idea.

She watched Rainiel slowly move away towards the woods, then disappear between the foliage and the darkness, and in the perpetual silence of that environment that seemed to exist outside the boundaries of time. A quiet that was probably about to be brutally broken.

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**THE SILVER-HAIRED CHILD**

The woods seemed peaceful and desolate as usual, except for the few animals that still wandered inside it despite being late at night. Many owls dived from the branches to go in search of small rodents to bring to their nest, which was why the idea of the girl, concerning the fact that it was one of those nocturnal birds of prey, consolidated even more.

Rainiel walked for about five minutes. She appreciated the fresh air that she could breathe while immersing herself in nature. Midgar had offered her an opportunity, but she often felt nostalgic about her adventures in the woods at an early age, climbing trees or the highest rocks and running down the slopes. That too was, in its own way, a rather reckless and satisfying life, but not enough for her.

As she walked, for a moment she forgot why she was there and went back to meditating on Darefall and her parents, on the speech she'd give them and the questions she'd ask them. She was terrified, confused. She really didn't know how to do it.

Her doubts, however, were abruptly interrupted, because the same sound as before made her jump into the air in fright. It was still that animal cry, that strange high-pitched and heartbreaking cry, only this time it was terribly close to her. If a griffin had screamed in her ear, it wouldn't have been more frightening.

She drew her swords, looking around and scrutinizing the trees around her, but many areas of the wood were immersed in the shadows, where the moon couldn't filter the reflected sun rays.

She promised herself to keep cool and fight carefully, squeezing the handles. The beast couldn't be far away. It certainly wasn't.

And she discovered it in the worst way, because something landed right on her back, tossing her meters and meters away with big scratches on her back, her jacket reduced to strips of shreds that could barely cover her now.

Her Aikuchis had ended not far away, but she had to recover them first. She jumped up, putting her hand on her low back and retracting it, discovering that she was already losing a lot of blood.

With a somersault she dived towards the first weapon, picking it up and whipping the air without distinction as soon as she heard the beast approaching again.

She felt her heart in her throat, but didn't panic. When she turned suddenly she attempted a lunge in the air but didn't hit anything. She sensed something flying right over her head, which meant that, whatever she was fighting, it also had wings.

And the beast showed up shortly thereafter, leaping into a tree right in front of her, after throwing her into a small clearing of tall grass. It landed with its big legs on the top of the shrub, spreading its huge wings and briefly obscuring the girl, preventing the moonlight from illuminating her. It had an equally large and above all very pointed beak, which made it similar to a primordial volatile in some points scaled, with small and threatening eyes.

The most worrying thing, however, was its appearance: it was very similar to the monster she had faced weeks before in the slums. Its skin was an almost fluorescent aqua green color, with clearly visible veins that apparently contained rivers of mako.

She barely had time to breathe again, as she seemed to be out of breath. A moment later the creature threw itself headlong on her, who still felt her back burn from the scratches caused by its claws. She rolled onto her side, but still one of its paws managed to reach her and injure her left arm, a long red streak began to bleed, the pain was sharp and excruciating.

Rain, however, didn't give up, forcing herself to pay more attention: gathering all her courage, she catapulted her Aikuchi against the beast's wing as if it were a spear, and it didn't see the blow coming. With a mighty scream, it fell to the ground and tried to get up. Taking advantage of this distraction, the SOLDIER took the opportunity and jumped on its shoulders, recovering the weapon still stuck in the injured wing. With a cry of encouragement, Rain planted her short sword and began to stab the beast at the height of the wings, in the mad and quick attempt to kill it.

Then something confusing and incomprehensible happened. Something that Rainiel still couldn't understand, and that shook her deeply.

Wounding the creature, a flash of bright blood reached her. Or, rather, it reached her wound on the arm. The monster's blood came into contact with hers, which was continuing to flow copiously.

And Rainiel saw nothing before her, nothing but a strong white light that seemed to blind her for a long moment. She no longer felt anything under her feet, nor was she able to perceive the boundaries of her body. It was as if she had become a mass of air aware of what was happening around her. And she could see the scene that slowly built up in front of her, as if she had just fallen into a dream:

_She found herself inside a laboratory, one she didn't remember ever visiting, with gray walls and filled with frightening machinery of unknown use. She was drawn to a child's cry and then turned to look for it. She found her in the arms of a person whose face she couldn't focus on. He was an adult, but in front of him there was also someone else, a child who couldn't be more than five years old, but who was calm and silent with his arms outstretched._

_The infant, wrapped in a common cover, was passed on to the boy, who held her close to him, soothing her tears at least a little. He was a rather curious boy, with straight and short hair, of a silver color. His eyes, on the other hand, were a brilliant aqua green and focused on the defenseless creature in his arms._

_Rainiel perceived a strong bond between those two little children, both of them frightened by what surrounded them. She tried to reach them to help them, because she felt that place wasn't safe for any of them. When she took a step, however, it was as if she had found herself in a glass case. Again... in that glass prison she had dreamed of._

_The boy's eyes moved from the newborn to her, looking at her with a lost and calm air, but when he spoke he seemed more worried than his expression showed._

_«Rainiel!» he called, then, as the infant screamed again and a small blood-red light illuminated the room like a quick flash, «Rainiel. Can you hear me? Move, now. Rainiel, go away!»_

As if someone had thrown a bucket of icy water on her, Rain returned to reality in an abrupt and surprising way. She took a deep breath, feeling that something had hit her in the left side, right between the ribs, and had pushed her away.

Before returning to see clearly, she heard a soft moan of pain and then the shrill cry of the mako monster.

She touched her face until her eyes returned to show her the reality and, when she turned, she was shocked by the scene before her eyes.

That scene... happened because of her.

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**FORCE OF NATURE**

Rainiel thought her nightmare wasn't over yet. Because of her distraction, something had happened that she'd not easily forget.

Beside her, or rather a few meters away, Sephiroth held the Masamune in his left hand, his eyes fixed on the creature in front of him.

The creature's beak was dripping with blood. A blood which, however, didn't belong to it. It was a dark red, a decidedly more human color than its, changed by the mako. It was Sephiroth's blood.

The general's right hand was pressed against his injured shoulder, which had suffered damage from the attack the beast had thought of for Rain.

The girl immediately understood what had happened: she had been tossed away from the monster's back, thrown on the ground, and here her vision had prevented her from moving for a few seconds, just long enough for the creature to recover and return to attack. And so it had done, clutching its beak and using it as if it were a javelin or a dart, throwing itself heavily against the girl. In the meantime Sephiroth had surely heard the creature's cries, produced minutes earlier, and had followed the sound to find its source at great speed, because he had arrived just in time. But his first instinct had been to save his pupil, an idea that had distracted him, a very serious mistake that now showed its fearsome fruits. Sephiroth's shoulder had been pierced from side to side by the beak of the beast and now the hand was barely holding the long katana with which it was fitted. The blood he was losing looked like a river, which made the girl shiver.

It was all her fault.

Still lying on the ground with her hands on the side hit by Sephiroth, who had pushed her away just before the beast killed her, she slowly got up on her knees, catching her breath and finally filling her lungs.

« _Sephiroth_...» she tried to shout in surprise and pain, but only a faint whisper came from her lips.

She no longer had her blades. One of the Aikuchis had fallen on the other side of the clearing, while the other had ended who knows where in the tall grass. What could she have done? She no longer knew how to act, how to protect herself and her mentor, who was serving the consequences of the actions she had committed.

The monster flapped its wings, preparing for another attack.

Sephiroth had gritted his teeth and had partially collapsed against a rock behind him, also painted with red spots, of his blood. He moved the Masamune into his right hand and swirled it fearlessly against the monster, injuring it in the chest despite having attempted to dodge the attack.

This did nothing but infuriate the winged beast, which began to attack with its legs and beak madly.

But the SOLDIER didn't give up: he moved and a second later the rock behind him was destroyed. Falling on the cold grass, without losing his balance for a single second, he threw himself between the clawed legs of the monster and swung the long sword to cut its legs. These proved more robust than normal, but still suffered the blow, starting to bleed.

One of the wings swept Sephiroth away, hitting him in the injured shoulder off guard, causing him to fall. The general seemed distracted by something, which was why he wasn't fighting to the best of his ability at all. What that something was, Rainiel found out when she saw his thin light eyes looking for her in the clearing to make sure she was safe. A gesture that did nothing but weigh even more on her shoulders and heart.

The monster's paw crushed the warrior's right hand to prevent it from grasping the Masamune again. Sephiroth didn't scream once, but this didn't mean he wasn't in enormous pain.

Rainiel finally got up and, although staggering, started running towards them, an idea that the mentor didn't like at all, because he gave her a serpentine look, as if to tell her to run away.

In a frightening verse, the monster pulled its neck back to prepare for the final attack, while Sephiroth was looking for a way to free himself. He would've certainly found it, but Rainiel couldn't perceive that possibility, too afraid of the idea that he was mortally wounded.

She stretched a hand towards him, although she knew she was too far away to act and, as if that weren't enough, even unarmed. She cried a " _No!_ " so powerful that she almost seemed to see the trees move around her. A futile idea, thinking it was just a scream.

But that idea proved far from wrong, because the trees were really moving.

Rain watched large spiky branches grow suddenly, as if nature itself had joined the fight, until it surrounded and brutally skewered the evil creature, who could only shout in angriness.

It was stuck, but not for long. Rainiel barely had time to observe what happened, amazed, until the branches began to get shorter to return to their original shape.

The monster knew it had been defeated, which is why even once it freed itself it no longer attempted to attack. It let go of Sephiroth's arm and, supporting itself with one wing as best as it could, being the other seriously injured, fled flying over the forest and landing who knows where, way too far to be followed on foot. Especially if two people were injured and exhausted from a short fight that however seemed to have lasted forever.

Rain wasted no more time and ran headlong towards her mentor, her back and arm still bleeding. She dropped to her knees to help him get up, calling out his name, but he reached out to push her away.

«I'm fine.» he warned proudly as always, getting up on his own as soon as he recovered the Masamune. His arm was reduced rather badly, he needed medical attention.

Rainiel tried to stay calm, she'd certainly not cry with fear now that the fight was over. She pointed to his shoulder with wide eyes.

«The hell you're fine! At least let me bandage it, then we'll go back so they can medicate you.» she suggested.

But Sephiroth obviously shook his head, his lips tight.

«Ditching the mission now that we're halfway in it?» he asked rhetorically, moving his hand a little away from the big cut. «I've endured worse pains. A Curaga spell will be enough.»

Before she could even reply, the SOLDIER used that materia to heal himself, a gesture that Rain thought of imitating on her wounds, although they weren't as serious as his. They were both battered and stunned, but more than anything else there was a question buzzing in their heads.

«How did you do it?» Sephiroth asked, looking at the clearing ahead.

«Huh? Do what?»

«The tree branches, you saw what happened too. How did you do it? I can't give myself a plausible explanation.»

«Oh...» Rain rubbed her neck, «I... I thought it was your doing. I was going to ask you the same question. Maybe it's the monster's work, and its power has turned against it...»

But immediately that assumption lost its meaning: Rain remembered what she had read weeks ago in the top-secret files found in the archive, those that concerned her past from her birth until the moment she was entrusted to the Chanstors in Darefall. She hadn't remembered it until then, but as explained in the notes and in the experiment log, the Yoshua Project was born with the aim of recreating a Cetra. Of course, it wasn't a direct mission and assuming what was explained in those disturbing lines of the report the project had not given the desired results, but perhaps... perhaps there was a connection between those intentions and what happened a few moments before, when nature itself had bowed to Rainiel's desperate will to save Sephiroth. Was it really her doing? Maybe even the vision she had, the same one that had endangered her, wasn't a simple oversight due to lack of sleep but something equally important that could be connected to her origins in that gloomy laboratory.

She was sure she had seen a child and a newborn, but now that the vision had ended she no longer remembered their faces or what the older one had told her. It was all fuzzy and incomprehensible as if it had been an ephemeral dream with a sudden awakening.

«Whatever it was, there is something that worries me more.» Sephiroth said again, tearing her away from her thoughts. «The beast that was indicated to me before leaving for the mission does not correspond by description to what we faced tonight. And this can only mean one thing...»

Rainiel felt an emptiness in her stomach.

«... that there are others at liberty.»

«Exactly. Our job is more dangerous than what they made us believe. I'm beginning to think that Shinra is keeping something important from us...» the General of SOLDIER commented to himself, dusting his clothes with the blow of a hand on the fabric.

«Then we'll have to be much more careful.» sighed the girl, earning a noteworthy glance.

«You should've been more careful regardless. I'd really like to know what made you think that venturing into the woods, alone and in the middle of the night, to follow monstrous cries was a good idea.»

Rainiel lowered her head, guilty. She'd have replied that she wanted to check that everything was okay so that the local villagers were safe, but in reality she couldn't even explain why she had made such a choice without even thinking before leaving.

Sephiroth's gaze was more severe than usual, definitely more, but showed no grudge. He only seemed genuinely concerned, knowing that worse could happen to her.

«And maybe one day you'll explain to me also why you didn't attack that creature, since you seemed very busy looking at it without doing anything just to defend yourself. If I had arrived a second later...»

«But you're never late, right?» Rainiel was mortified, but still tried to cheer him up.

It didn't seem to work, because his expression grew darker.

«Luck also has a limit, Rainiel. And I won't always be there to protect you. I wish you understood that if I hadn't heard those cries and if the caretaker hadn't shown me the road you had taken in time, you would've already died. All of this, just for the slightest mistake.» he gave her a strong lecture, without her even daring to support his icy gaze, aimed at her like a poisoned dart.

«Yes... I understand it. And I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me.» then she said with her head down, if only sincerely.

It was enough to at least partially calm the young mentor before her. He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, then started moving towards the road that'd take them back to the inn.

«Take your weapons and go back to sleep, Rainiel. We won't cancel the mission.» he ordered.

She nodded and immediately looked for the Aikuchis in the tall grass, finding them without much difficulty.

The two returned to the inn and answered vaguely enough questions from the elderly caretaker to avoid frightening her, then returning to their respective rooms. Rainiel needed a nice bath before going back to bed, but a thought preceded that need too.

After locking the door of her room, she searched the phone in her luggage, finding Jadin's number in the phone book so as to leave her a message.

_"I think I still don't know everything about the Yoshua Project. Please go back to the archives to find more information about it, it's a very important matter. I owe you a favor. See you soon._

_\- R."_

She sent the message without second thoughts and put the phone back in her bag, knowing that she wouldn't get an answer right away.

The days that followed would be very important for her, especially now that the mystery was becoming more intense and worrying.

Shortly thereafter, when the adrenaline left room for tiredness and she had finished cleaning up and changing clothes, she fell asleep much more easily between the comfortable sheets on her bed, even though her sleep would've lasted a few hours.


	8. What once was home / Family reunion / Lonesome star / Hospitality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once in Darefall, the SOLDIERS prepare for a short stay. The time has come for Rainiel to face her fears and to find out more about her origins during a family reunion. When the ground beneath her feet collapses again, only one person will understand and support her in the right way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters contained in this are:
> 
> • Chapter 21: What once was home  
> • Chapter 22: Family reunion  
> • Chapter 23: Lonesome star  
> • Chapter 24: Hospitality
> 
> Also, I'd like to thank again the user that helped me correct many grammar and spelling mistakes!

* * *

**Chapter 21**

**WHAT ONCE WAS HOME**

« _What the-?!_ »

Zack's scream threatened to wake up all the other citizens of the small village lost in the woods. It was still dawn and not many people were in the streets, at work in the fields or in the mills, however his surprised exclamation had certainly been more useful than the singing of an undeterred rooster.

Rainiel and Sephiroth stood in front of him, one with a low head and pale face, the other with his arms crossed over his chest and a rather annoyed expression.

«That's not possible!»

«It is, Zack, but we're fine.» she tried to reassure her friend, not knowing what other words to use to explain again what happened the previous night.

«And this is already a miracle, as rare as the fact that I didn't wake up hearing the screams of that feathery monster. I don't usually have such deep sleep!»

«You drove the wagon practically all day. It must've been fatigue, you don't have to feel guilty.»

«Guilty or not, I only know that this mission doesn't promise anything good. They omitted information and that's clear! I say we should turn around and go back to Midgar to explain what happened to you.»

Rain started to speak, but without luck.

«Not gonna happen.» the silver-haired warrior said pragmatically. «As I explained to Rainiel last night, I won't stop the mission now that we've almost reached Darefall. It's out of question.»

«But that monster...!»

«If it comes back, I'll make sure I kill him.»

Zack scratched his head and then put his hands on his hips.

«I know that insisting is useless, but I still think that anything could happen.»

Sephiroth picked up one of the bags of supplies and other items useful for the trip from the ground, throwing it in the arms of the other first-class SOLDIER.

«You're right. Insisting is useless. Just trust our fighting skills. We are three well-trained SOLDIERS, we know how to protect ourselves.»

Zack was about to retort, but he caught a big pinch on the arm from Rain, now on his right.

She too had tried to contrast the veteran's words the night before, with the only result of having annoyed him even more.

The three set off, leaving behind the old caretaker of the inn and the few houses gathered around it and a small dirt square frequented by local children, a small group of no more than seven or eight children.

The road had many more holes and bumps than expected. The farther one moved from Midgar, the city suspended three hundred meters above the slums, the more it seemed that civilization was in a certain sense regressing. No more technology, high-speed trains, city smog or rush-hour traffic, only immense countryside and woods, a real dip in nature and above all a rarity for those who came from the rig, where finding real plants was practically a quest.

It took another day of march, in which this time they took turns to rest and drive the wagon one at a time, as Zack had volunteered, knowing the other two were tired from the fight of the previous night.

When it was Rain's turn, in the late afternoon, about two hours before the arrival time provided by the digital maps, the girl closed in a sort of reflection on that fight and what happened.

She knew she couldn't judge everything on the spot, so she had contacted Jadin so that she could find other salient information. Whenever she believed she had known an important part of her past, something related to her early years of life, she realized that she didn't yet have one or more missing pieces in the complete picture. It was sad but above all frustrating. If on the one hand in the last hours she had managed to distract herself and let go of the thought of meeting her parents, the idea that this wasn't her only problem tormented her.

That branches, that vision. Everything was connected in some way, but she couldn't find the thread that united one clue to another. She was a warrior, not an investigator, and for this reason she thought it was much more difficult to understand. The most logical explanation was that she still didn't know everything. Maybe not even half of everything she wanted to know.

«Thoughtful as always?» a voice behind her asked.

Rain squeezed the reins harder and one of the chocobo clucked in fear for a moment, but it was a matter of seconds before Rainiel regained control of the situation.

Turning a few times and quickly, she could see that the mentor was standing with his arms folded behind her, with the book found the day before in his hand. It was closed but he held the sign with a finger between the pages.

«Sephiroth! You scared me!»

«Getting up and talking to you? It's a really small wagon, who did you think it was?» he folded his lips into a grin, sitting down beside her a moment later.

Rainiel didn't mind chat with him along the way. Zack's shift had lasted all morning and he was now asleep, another reason to talk calmly and without... embarrassing hitches.

«... The answer is yes, thoughtful as always.» she had to admit.

«As I figured.»

Rainiel rubbed her neck before grabbing the reins again with both hands. She glanced a few fleeting glances out of the corner of her eye, biting her lips and trying not to turn red in the face.

«You seem to be dying to tell me something.» he tried to guess.

«Yeah, well... You've got a point.»

«I'm all ears, then.»

«I... I wanted to apologize for last night. I know I've been imprudent and foolish. And to make matters worse, I put you in danger too.»

Sephiroth looked at her with a little more interest, surprised by her words.

«You've got a point, too.»

«I know, that's why I'm sorry. This mission should be my second chance and I almost blew everything up. Sometimes I don't know how you tolerate me.»

«I tolerate you because I believe in your potential.» the SOLDIER clarified, «... and because unlike many other young people who share your same goal, you're not bold or presumptuous. If nothing else, you understand your mistakes and learn from them.»

Rainiel couldn't help smiling, amused.

«Are you saying you think I'm pretty nice?»

«I say I don't consider you a braggart.»

«Can I take it as a compliment? Actually, don't answer! I definitely take it as a compliment!»

Both lingered in a short laugh caused by that exchange of jokes rather out of the box.

Shortly thereafter Sephiroth pursed his lips and finally spoke again.

«I appreciate your apologies, Rainiel, but don't focus only on what happened yesterday. We still have a lot to deal with and what's happening is... worrying.»

«You can say it for sure. Fluorescent monsters, crazy trees...» she sighed, giving him reason. «I really think this will be a memorable mission.»

The chat went on when they continued to talk about other topics of various kinds. It was a rather pleasant conversation, which made Rainiel understand that the displeasure with what had happened the night before had finally been put aside.

The sun hadn't yet set when the wagon finally found itself among the wooden huts and sloping roofs of Darefall. Cheerful children still ran through the streets, some people collected water from the well and many others, including the older ones, sat in the main square to talk in peace. Some children gathered around the chocobo cart when it followed the streets of the center of the small village, from which the rig appeared only as a distant gray tinge in the vaguely clouded sky.

«The SOLDIERS! The SOLDIERS!» some of them shouted, then pointed to Sephiroth, giving a toothy smile and calling his name. After all, he was a somewhat famous character even outside of Midgar, thanks to the news.

Finally, after arranging the cart and preparing to reach the houses they'd rent in the village, the more adults also reached Rainiel to welcome her.

«Rain, damnit, you finally made it!»

«You've become a SOLDIER as you said!»

«We've always known that you're an ambitious and determined girl. Welcome back, Rain!»

Yes. Rainiel felt at home. She was surrounded by people she knew, who knew her, long before she became a SOLDIER leaving for Midgar. She had gone home but, deep in her heart, she knew that wasn't really her home.

The crowd dissolved after a couple of minutes between greetings and congratulations to the first-class SOLDIERS.

By now the sky had turned a reddish tone and a guide had led Sephiroth and Zack to their rented houses, where they had to stay until the end of the mission, financed by Shinra. Zack stopped before them, as his home was closer to the center of the village.

The guide explained to Rainiel that her parents had been notified of her arrival, although she had already sent them a message informing them that she'd be returning to Darefall for a few days, and told her that she'd spend the night in her old home, then leaving her and Sephiroth alone to return to his work.

Before he entered the house, with the key already in his hand, the General of SOLDIER stopped to speak with his pupil.

«You're nervous, aren't you?»

Nervous? Rainiel was shaking. The time had come to go back to her parents and face the truth.

Sephiroth's eyes closed for a few moments.

«Nevermind. It was a stupid question.»

Rain took a breath, torturing her hands.

«I don't even know what I should tell them.»

«All you've said to me. And I think you need to ask them for more explanation.»

«It's precisely the answer that worries me. I keep hoping... that I was wrong, that all of this isn't true. I just wish I misunderstood.»

For the first time in his life, Sephiroth saw the eyes of the tenacious SOLDIER girl become brighter and hold back her tears. She was shaken by chills, her gaze was fixed on her feet and her hands clasped together. She seemed on the verge of a crisis.

Such a scene even managed to breach the interest of someone like him, apparently so rigid and imperturbable. Maybe because, for some strange reason, he really cared about her, and not just as his student. He had learned to know her better as a person and not as a warrior, and had spent a lot of time with her recently.

«I can't tell you everything will be fine.» he then announced in a lower voice, looking at her from above without changing his expression, «But if things should get worse, Rain...»

Rainiel looked up. Did he just call her Rain? Really? That was a... particular feeling.

«... you can always come looking for me. I'll try to help you if necessary. Got it?»

The girl let out a tear, only one. She smiled excitedly and bowed her head.

«Got it.» she exclaimed, less nervous than she thought. Knowing that she wasn't alone had eased the heavy load on her conscience. «And thanks. Really.»

Not even Sephiroth could help but show a small, fleeting smile.

«Go, now. And good luck.»

* * *

**Chapter 22**

**FAMILY REUNION**

Rainiel looked at her fingers for a moment before knocking on the door. Her hand was shaking, but she wasn't cold. She perceived only a great, abysmal fear. Once that door was opened, once she had that discussion... she could never go back. She knew it well, and feared she wouldn't be able to do it.

However, her hand moved almost automatically. How many times had she knocked on that door? How many had she gone through it to get in or out of that house?

She waited lost in her nervousness, until the door opened with a slight squeak. Her father's face appeared at the entrance, a broad, loving smile tinged on his face.

«Rainiel! Baby girl!» he exclaimed, not even allowing her some time to reply. He hugged her in an almost desperate way: he hadn't seen her for a long, long time, and in the last few weeks they had almost completely stopped hearing from her, even if only by telephone.

«Honey, come downstairs! Rain's back!» he then called his wife, knowing that she too was certainly looking forward to hugging the girl they had raised with such love again.

Rain, however, was unable to return their hugs. She merely forced a smile and answered their questions, one at a time, dozens and dozens of questions about her career and life in Midgar.

Her mother and father tried to make her feel at home, as they had always done, but she knew they had both been lying to her. Perhaps for this reason she felt so sad to find herself face to face with them and to realize for the first time that, in fact... they weren't her real parents. She loved them as such, of course, she'd never be able to get away from them or hate them for any reason in the world, but now she wondered why they had kept that secret, while saving her from a life as a lab rat.

They took her jacket, welcomed her into the sitting room and spoke, and then all together prepared a great dinner. Outside the stars shone brighter than Rain remembered, but they couldn't make her feel any better.

The kitchen was bright and spacious, and the food was delicious. Rainiel's mother had prepared the best ingredients for her return, while her father had given a new arrangement to the house.

«So you're in first class now?!» he asked curiously.

«No, no... I'm in second. I'm trying to improve to get in first.»

«You can do it, we're sure of it.» her mother reassured her before taking a bite and, having finished chewing, starting to talk again. «Especially given who the people who accompany you on this mission are!»

Rain rolled her eyes.

«And how do you know that? Were you on the street, by any chance?»

«Are you kidding?» her father laughed and adjusted one of the napkins before spreading his arms. «We haven't talked about anything else in the city for days! We know that a dangerous creature has been sighted in the area but we're not afraid. Especially after the news of which SOLDIERS would be sent to take care of the mission began to spread...»

«Zack Fair! Lately he's often mentioned in the news. And you've told us about him more than once!» the mom exulted.

«Oh... he's my best friend. He's in first class.»

«And not only him...»

Her hand squeezed her husband's, her eyes shining with parental pride.

«General Sephiroth!» they said in chorus, while on top of the moon with joy.

Only the woman continued to speak.

«Perhaps the best SOLDIER to ever exist. Do you remember when you were younger? You doted on him, you always watched television waiting for them to talk about his deeds! And now you work alongside him... you've come a long way, I wonder how it feels to collaborate with your idol.»

Rainiel began to feel embarrassed.

«Actually... Sephiroth's my mentor now, he's training me...» she reminded them.

The two seemed more than happy.

«How splendid! And what do you think of this? Is he a stern guy?»

«Only when needed. He's generally quite calm.»

«Are you sure he behaves well with you? With fame, many go nuts!»

«Not him. He's... well... respectful, polite. But...»

«Wait, I've an idea!» exclaimed the woman, too enthusiastic to wait. «Tell both your companions: tomorrow evening we'll have dinner here together, surely you've already completed the mission for that time. Your father and I'd be delighted to meet your friends and colleagues, I'm serious.»

«Also, we have to make sure they're reliable types. We want to make sure they treat our little girl well.» the father laughed, pretending a serious and jealous tone. Then they both looked at her.

Rainiel looked down at the plate.

" _Our little girl_ ," they said... waking up her torments again.

She didn't mind that family. She'd never abandon her. And she'd always owe her entire life to her parents, biological or adoptive. She loved them with all her heart, she always had. She just wanted to know why. Why had they never told her the truth?

She squeezed her fork tightly, then her lips too.

Her parents exchanged glances, then her mother touched her hand.

«Rain...?»

She didn't do it voluntarily, but she pulled her own hand away. It had been an instinctive movement, because she didn't expect anyone to touch her as she went on a journey through her own thoughts.

«S- Sorry...» she murmured.

«Rain... what's wrong?»

«Nothing, really. Dinner's excellent, the house's splendid.»

«Is it for tomorrow's invitation? I thought you'd enjoy it and that it would at least partially reward your work for us, but you're not obliged to...»

«No... that's not why, I think it's a great idea. I... it's just that...»

Her father placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, then quietly watched his daughter.

«Rain... whatever the problem, you know you can talk to us about it. We want you to be happy. And we want to help you, especially now that we're all together again.»

If only that was so easy...

«I don't have any problem. I mean it, everything's perfect. You've always treated me as the most precious thing in the world. You supported me in my choices, you helped me make my dreams come true. Everything perfect...» she repeated, «You're perfect.»

The man's eyebrows furrowed.

«But there's something you need to tell us. Am I right?» he tried to guess.

Rain closed her eyes and remembered the discussion she had with Sephiroth. It was her chance, she knew she had to do it. She really wanted to know more.

«Exactly. And it's not something simple.» she explained.

The parents nodded and, after cleaning up, they all moved into the sitting room to talk about it more comfortably.

Rainiel's mother turned on a gramophone, pulling up a shutter to show the back garden. It was splendid. But not enough to distract her daughter.

«Come on, Rain. You can tell us, if you want.»

Rainiel gritted her teeth and looked at her parents, beyond the table, sitting on a sofa just in front of the one on which she had settled.

«The more I go around it, the more trouble it causes me...» she said to herself, and then spoke once and for all. «Mum, dad... do you know anything about the Yoshua Project?» she asked.

A small silence fell in the sitting room, while Rain's anxiety grew ever more pressing. She prayed that they'd respond quickly.

Her parents seemed to reflect for a few moments, exchanging a glance, and then looking back at her, who was waiting hopefully.

«Rain, we...» her mother began to say.

Rainiel snapped to attention, impatient.

«... we don't know what you're talking about. I'm sorry.»

And the girl's blood froze in her veins.

They didn't know.

Or they were continuing to lie to her.

* * *

**Chapter 23**

**LONESOME STAR**

«You don't... you don't know?»

Rain's parents both shook their heads.

«Impossible. You've got to be aware of something... try to remember! The Yoshua Project!»

«Is it... a mission you're working on, maybe?» her mother asked, confused.

«The name Yoshua says nothing to me. Who is he?» then the father asked.

They both seemed rather calm, but Rain felt her heart ready to burst.

«Maybe you... just forgot! It happened about twenty years ago, you know that. When Shinra scientists started the project, and all those experiments. _When I was born_!» she gestured, trying to tell them what she was referring to.

Both adults looked at her worried.

«Rain, calm down now... try to speak more slowly.» tried to suggest her father, «What experiments are you talking about? And why should they be related to your birth?»

Rainiel slumped against the back of the sofa, her hands pressed to her face and her lips trembling.

«You... you don't know anything about my birth?» she mumbled, as what she feared had happened.

Another question mark arose among others. For the umpteenth time.

The two parents began to sweat cold, as if the conversation had suddenly become very uncomfortable.

«What? Of course we know about... Oh, Rain, tell us... what's going on? You don't seem you anymore!» tried to say the mother.

Rain shook her head, breathing deeply without positive results.

«No, that's not true. You don't know anything. Because I'm not your daughter.» she finally exclaimed.

Her parents paled, aware that she had discovered the truth.

«What?» the father stammered.

«You got that right.» she cut it short, still covering her face. «You raised me, cared for me, educated me, fed me. You gave me everything a girl like me could wish for, except the most important thing. The ability to know who I really am.» therefore she blamed them.

An accusation that wounded them as much as the blow of a well-sharpened sword.

«Rain...»

« _Rain, Rain, Rain_. What do you have to tell me? Other lies, perhaps? Do you want to tell me that I was born on a beautiful summer day in the nearest hospital, and that you brought me home wrapped in a pink cover with my name written on it? Do you want me to believe that, after all, I look a little like you? That there's no valid reason why I've always felt different and out of place despite being at home?»

The girl stood up, talking as she walked back and forth in the sitting room.

Her parents had a desperate expression. They looked at her in amazement, knowing that their effort in trying to veil that uncomfortable truth had just been made in vain. Because she had found out.

The father tried to speak, but his wife realized that there was no point in continuing to lie.

«No. She needs to know.»

The woman stood up and joined her daughter, smoothing her apron with her hands.

«Rainiel... that was really the name sewn on the pink cover that wrapped you when they brought you to us.» she sobbed, head down. «It was the only thing that belonged to you. When we saw you, your father and I realized that you were perfect for us. Holding you in our arms for the first time was the greatest joy.»

Rainiel listened in silence, knowing that she was receiving an answer to at least one of her questions.

«When we were young, we both worked for some time at Shinra, but we moved here with the intent of building our family. Unfortunately, it was soon clear that it wasn't possible, but we both wanted with all our heart a child to grow and to give our love to. And when the opportunity arose to have you.. it was splendid.»

Her husband joined the story with a sigh.

«It was a group of soldiers who brought you here. They explained that we weren't given anything to know about the people who had given you birth or your birthplace. We only knew that, for a time, that sweet-faced girl had been raised in Midgar, in the Shinra palace. Maybe that's why it seemed normal to us when they told us that a team of Turks would visit periodically to make sure of your condition.»

Rain opened her eyes and mouth wide in confusion.

«Were the Turks watching me?»

«They made sure you were protected and healthy. Once a month, for two years in a row, they showed up at our house for a visit. I suppose it was for health reasons... but we don't know anything else.» replied the mother.

Maybe they didn't know anything else, but she did. Although she had no memory of that past, she knew that those Turks were there to make sure she had developed supernatural skills, so to speak, related to the Cetra or the creature known by the name of Yoshua. Perhaps they had stopped showing up when at the end of the two years they hadn't found any results. Or because someone had ordered them to retire.

Whatever it was, she had received a confirmation.

«I understand... and I appreciate you telling me the truth.»

«Rainiel...»

Her mother grabbed her hand and squeezed it, sad in the face.

«I don't know what you may think or feel right now. Maybe you hate us, or maybe you're relieved because you've discovered the truth. I won't even ask you how you found out, it doesn't matter. I just want you to know that blood isn't the link between people.»

She looked her in the eyes. She was white in the face, colder than usual, and was trembling and stammering.

«I don't know who gave birth to you, but I know I grew you to make you the splendid woman I have here in front of me today. For me and your father, you're our daughter in all respects. You're part of our family. Our one and only little girl, the most important thing that exists.»

The father also got up, flanking her. Maybe they wanted to hug her...

... but Rainiel backed away.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't make that whole matter so simple.

She raised her hands in front of her, to ask them not to get close.

«Yours...» she sobbed in turn, trying not to burst into tears. «I don't think I'm anyone's, anymore. I don't even know who I am.» Her gaze was more severe when she looked at them. «But I know this isn't my home. Perhaps this life doesn't belong to me. Maybe I don't deserve it.»

«Rain!» her father called her, «This will always be your home and we'll always be your parents. We only ask you to forgive us for never telling you the truth. We were simply afraid of losing you.»

She felt a fire in her chest, a devouring flame that slowly turned into a huge dark hole.

«I'm afraid it was a well-founded fear...» she only whispered, «... because you really lost me.»

Without waiting for anything else to be said, she turned on herself and ran out of the door at breakneck speed, hoping they wouldn't follow her.

Probably one of the two had tried, but the other had told them that insisting would only make things worse. For this she finally found herself alone.

The sky seemed to share her mood because, as she ran through the small alleys of the village, between the pretty gardens and the houses surrounded by low fences of smooth stones, a fine drizzle began to fall from the clouds, and then intensified slowly.

Soon - and ironically, considering her nickname - Rain found herself with wet clothes and her hair pressed against her forehead, her sight clouded with tears that were desperately asking to be shed.

She was alone, under the starry sky and the downpour with bad timing. She was alone, perhaps in the whole world, and felt different and complicated. Too much, to hope to be understood.

She stopped, looking for a place, a memory, a person.

_A person_.

And she found it: a person who, in some way, always managed to make her feel less alone, less different, less complicated. One who could understand her, even if he didn't show it too much.

Only then she started running again. She didn't want to see anyone else. _Only him_.

* * *

**Chapter 24**

**HOSPITALITY**

Sephiroth rested lying on the bed of the small house that had been rented to him for his short stay in Darefall.

All in all he didn’t mind being there, away from Midgar and in such a comfortable and welcoming village. Not that he too didn’t have an inclination to coldness and detachment, but that tranquility was pleasant, a quick break from his usual and rigid everyday life.

Even the décor was pleasant, as was the landscape he could spy on from the loosely open window beside the bed, which showed the mountain at the foot of which Darefall stood.

He was fine, but couldn’t sleep. It often happened, and sometimes he forced himself to remain still and motionless until the muscles themselves fell asleep and dragged his mind with them.

To make things worse, it was very hot. More than it was at their arrival, as they had brought jackets and gloves with them just in case. Outside it was raining heavily, he could hear the noise and the pleasant smell of the crackling rain sliding down from the sloping roof. Why hadn’t that downpour taken some of that heat away? It was late summer, and thunderstorms weren’t uncommon, but apparently nothing could be done against temperature changes.

Sephiroth glanced at his SOLDIER armor, neatly stored in an open closet on the other side of the room. If he had worn it to sleep he’d have melted inside of it. Rather, he had to kick off the covers and sit up to take off his shirt, even ending up puffing. He didn’t like the heat, he couldn’t stand it, but sleeping bare-chested was not part of his habits.

He laid down again, his back against the mattress and his face turned to the ceiling, hoping that the sound of the rain would’ve lulled him to sleep.

For a moment he had the impression that the largest drops of water were tapping hard against the wall. He didn’t pay attention, and forced his eyes to close, letting go of a quick sigh.

The sound came again, at a higher volume, again and again. It couldn’t have been a tick on the glass, also because he noticed that it came from the floor below.

He finally realized it had to be the door, but who could it be at such a time? A nuisance, maybe? And a rather persistent one, too.

But then he suddenly understood, remembering that, in fact, perhaps it was anything but someone intent on playing a prank at that hour. After all, it was he who had told the person to turn to him in case of need.

He jumped out of bed, forgetting about his attempts to fall asleep and his shirt. Quickly, without even thinking about the fact that it could be a false alarm, he went down the stairs to the ground floor and turned the key in the lock to open the door. What if something happened to her? He didn’t even notice, but he was somewhat worried.

As he had imagined, Rainiel was in front of him, one hand resting on the wall and the other wrapped around her side. She no longer wore the jacket with which she had come to Darefall, her hair and clothes were now full of water and her face low.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, not quite sure how to behave. Not that such a situation had ever happened to him before.

«Rainiel?» he said, confused, as if to ask her what had happened. In reality he knew it very well, he could perceive it.

She raised her head and looked at him for a moment. Her eyes were filled with tears and her whole body trembled.

Sephiroth was about to say something, perhaps inviting her to come in to prevent her from getting sick in the middle of the mission, but his idea was thwarted by Rain herself.

The girl brought her arms to her sides, approached him with two big steps and placed her hands clenched into fists and her forehead against his chest. Leaving him rather confused.

Sephiroth heard her sobbing with more force, the shivers made her hands tremble. He felt it against his skin, at a closeness that had never existed between them. But he didn’t move.

Rainiel was, in a nutshell, desperate. She hadn’t said anything, she had simply started to cry on his chest, ignoring the fact that he wasn’t wearing a shirt and not very interested in the scars that, here and there, seemed to remember old battles.

She was short enough, at least compared to him, to allow the man to keep looking straight ahead without her wavy hair bothering him.

He didn’t know what had happened. He only knew that Rain was going through a horrible moment. But he didn’t move anyway, remaining motionless with a surprised expression on his face which he hurried to hide.

The rain in front of them continued to run down, and the door remained open. They hadn’t moved from the entrance.

She didn’t speak, and neither did he. But Rain didn’t hold back, she wouldn’t go anywhere else, she wouldn’t show her tears to anyone else.

«Rain…» he tried to call her again.

«I was right.» she managed to say, between sobs, «I was right about everything.»

So she had received confirmation from her parents about her origins, or at least that was what he thought.

He waited for a few seconds for her to stop crying, his back and arms stiff, but he realized that it’d never work. Why on earth would she run to ask for her help, if not?

Slowly, he raised his arms and wrapped them around the back of his pupil, without squeezing. That’s how to console someone… right?

Somehow, for a reason he didn’t understand, he could feel the pain she was going through. It reminded him a lot of what he felt, and what he’d never prove, after Genesis and Angeal disappeared. In reality, however, it was the same pain that he had gone through all his life: while Rain did not know who her real parents were despite having someone who raised her, he’d never have been able to meet his.

He didn’t want anyone else to feel the same pain, so he had gone along with her search for a safe place.

Within seconds Rainiel’s crying, which had been shaken by another thrill in being embraced by him, became less noisy, her sobs less frequent.

Sephiroth reached out in front of him to close the door without leaving.

«You’re trembling. Come in, let’s talk in a drier place.»

A few minutes later, Rain sat at the table in the small dining room on the ground floor, her fingers clasped around the handle of a cup of chamomile tea.

Sephiroth covered himself with a black, sleeveless fitted shirt, and then found in his luggage another, wider one, which would’ve covered Rainiel and protected her from the worst cold of her life. After all, her clothes were in the suitcase transported a few hours earlier to her parents’ house.

He handed it to her before sitting down in the next chair.

«Oh…» Rainiel took it in her hands and lowered her face. «I don’t want to bother you, really… you can take it back if you want, I don’t get sick easily.»

«Wear it.» he insisted. «It’d be a shame if a sneeze or a cough prevented you from delivering a decisive strike tomorrow.»

Rainiel did as asked, wearing the shirt. She tried to spread her arms: the sleeves were much longer and the tip was hanging down. The lower part covered her up to mid-thigh. Humiliating. However, it had been a kind thought.

Sephiroth asked her if she wanted to tell him what had happened. She nodded and explained most of it, leaving out the details she’d have preferred to keep for herself, for example the presence of the Turks in Darefall. In short, she explained that she had been adopted by the Chanstor family about twenty years earlier.

Sephiroth listened patiently to her story and reminded her of what he had already told her a few weeks earlier during their meeting at the Ace of Spades. It wasn’t her past to define her, and therefore not her origins. She could decide who to become and what to do with her life.

Despite this, Sephiroth was unable to give advice on such a topic. He had been raised by one of the Shinra scientists, but had never spoken or even seen his parents. He had no idea how Rainiel wanted and could behave, so he thought that asking the person concerned wouldn’t have hurt anyone.

«I guess you’re not going back to your parents’ house tonight, am I right?» he asked quickly.

Her cheeks lifted up slightly squeezing her eyes.

«Would it be a problem if I agreed?»

The silver-haired man sighed strongly.

«No, I suspected it anyway. You can have the bed upstairs, try to rest a little.» he explained with his back to her.

She shook her arms.

«W- What? But this is your house, I can’t take your bedroom!»

«Would you prefer the cold stone of a bench wet by the rain? There are many outside.»

«… Actually, I think I’ll spend the night here. I just don’t want to be a nuisance for you, you’re already doing a lot for me.»

Sephiroth returned to look at her, or rather, to study her. Was he really helping her? He didn’t think he was doing much, if not talking to her and letting her vent a little.

«Top of the stairs. On the left. If you’re cold, close the bedroom window.» he gave her directions.

Rainiel got up and bit her lips before speaking.

«I…» she stammered, «I think it’s perfectly fine. This house’s very welcoming.» she commented.

Shortly thereafter she approached him, head down, toying with her own nails.

«Sephiroth… thank you. What you do for me isn’t a small thing and it helps me a lot. I hope to pay off the debt someday.»

A moment later she raised her face, trying to smile.

«Goodnight, sleep tight!» she took her leave later, bowing her head to the side before turning and climbing the stairs.

Her big clear and bright eyes attracted the mentor’s attention for a few moments, so much so that he didn’t even answer immediately, watching the girl run upstairs after leaving the empty cup in the sink, almost hidden in her shirt, which on her looked like a larger sweater of various sizes.

And in him he felt something light up. A small and weak spark. Proud as always, he pushed his thoughts away and looked around, now alone.

«… At least the sofa has no blankets.» he said to himself, moving into the living room.

Too bad it was very hot in there anyway.


	9. Motherly love / The hunt begins / End of the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an unusual morning, Rain realizes that she has forgotten her swords and that she cannot leave for the mission. Following the recovery of the weapons by Sephiroth, the real adventure begins, and will lead to an unexpected epilogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters contained in this are:
> 
> • Chapter 25: Motherly love  
> • Chapter 26: The hunt begins  
> • Chapter 27: End of the world
> 
> Also, thank you all for the 100+ hits on the story!

* * *

**Chapter 25**

**MOTHERLY LOVE**

The rooster crowed at the scheduled time, the bells of a small church in the center of the village rang and the new day began definitively.

Sephiroth awoke at dawn, finding himself on the sofa of the rented house entrusted to him by the town of Darefall. The rain last night had cooled the air, so he thought of wearing his usual uniform, which he had cleaned and hung in the closet.

He went upstairs, opening the door of the room nonchalantly. Surprisingly, he found a still deeply asleep Rainiel under his eyes, her arms clinging to one pillow and her legs wrapped around another, the blanket that covered her only to the knees and his shirt on, too big for her.

He had an instinct to come over to check on her, but he shook his head and turned back. He'd have given her time to wake up alone and in the meantime he'd have taken a shower and dried his long hair, a process that took about half an hour to complete.

Once finished, he put on some black military trousers and tight leather boots, put on his belt and placed a towel around his bare shoulders. He calmly went back upstairs, this time knocking.

«Come in.» the female voice on the other side invited him, and he entered.

«Good morning.» he saluted atone, noting that she hadn't changed yet. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her hair disheveled and her face sleepy.

«Good morning to you too!» she greeted cheerfully. «What? Are you ready at this hour?»

«We must leave as soon as possible to find information on the beast.» He walked forward and with a maximum of three strides he reached the bed. He sat on the edge, partially giving his back to Rain. «You should prepare too.» he suggested then.

Rainiel went back to bed with a puff, landing between the soft cushions that folded under her weight.

«Do I have to? This bed's very comfortable. And the shirt too.» she commented again sleepily. She brought one of the sleeves to her face and smiled tenuously. «It smells good.» she finally whispered.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. Did Rain like his perfume?

The girl realized what she had said and dragged herself on her elbows against the head of the bed.

«I mean... well...» she stammered again, one of her peculiarities. This time, however, she surrendered. «Ah, nevermind. I can't even compliment someone without looking weird.»

«You're not weird.»

Their eyes met, but Sephiroth realized that he had uttered that phrase only after having exclaimed it, so urgent had been the desire to give shape to that thought.

This time he lowered his head, then moved an arm and turned to the other side.

«It's just... because of what happened last night. Are you still upset?»

«Upset?» Rain forced a bitter laugh, «Yes, let's say I am. But more than upset I'm a stupid. You were right, you know? When you said I always run away from my problems. All I do is this, as evidenced by the fact that yesterday I ran away from home like that. And the worst part is, I don't even regret it.»

There was a brief silence.

«In fact... I left all my things in my suitcases at my parents' house. Aikuchis included. I could send a porter to get everything, but the swords...!» Rainiel clapped her palm. «I always cause trouble. Will I ever get a break?!»

«They're not lost. We can recover them.»

«I know, but I don't feel like going home this morning. I want to let off some steam in the mission, clear my mind, and calmly deal with the matter tonight. Then I'll go home and talk to them, after all I still consider them my parents. But the Aikuchis...»

«I can take them.» he offered himself suddenly.

Rain opened her eyes.

«Would you go to my house? Really?"

«It's not like it's that far from here.»

«I know, but... you're taking on my responsibility, again. I could ask Zack, or...»

«It's not a problem. And we don't know if Zack is still sleeping. We have to get going this morning, so you'll get ready and ask for information on the last sightings of the beast, while I'll retrieve your Aikuchis. We'll save time.»

Rain scratched her head and spoke with a chuckle.

«Are you sure this is all about the timing? Or do you just want to do me a favor?» she teased him.

Sephiroth turned his back and raised an eyebrow. He leaned forward, approaching her and lifting the collar of her shirt without hurting her.

Rain, suddenly finding him so close, paralyzed herself and changed color in the face.

The SOLDIER's grin was the final blow for her.

«You're still in my shirt.» he said in a low voice. «Instead of worrying, you should think about getting ready. Don't you think so?»

His index finger followed the stitching of the collar for a moment, then let it go. The wide shirt fell inanimate on Rain's chest.

Sephiroth got up without waiting for an answer, while Rain was stuck against the back of the bed, stiff as a rock, wondering what had happened. Certainly Sephiroth had taught her another lesson, as a good mentor: teasing him wasn't a good idea, because even in this he was decidedly better than her.

A few minutes later, the SOLDIER with long silver hair finished dressing and went out to reach his pupil's parents' house. Rain had already explained where it was, so he didn't found it hard to find it. Once at the entrance, he knocked and waited for an answer.

A woman with slightly greyish hair and pale skin opened the door with a hopeful look. It had to be the girl's mother, waiting for her to come home. Her expression changed several times, going through various phases and emotions.

«Good morning, m'am. I'm...»

«General Sephiroth!» she exclaimed. «Everyone in the village knows you. You're my daughter's mentor, right? Did something happen to her? Is Rainiel okay?»

The mother looked very frightened.

«She's fine, there's no need to worry. She's currently at my house and preparing for today's mission. I'm here to retrieve her Aikuchis.»

The woman, much shorter than him, raised her head to give him a confused look.

Sephiroth tried to explain himself better.

«They're her...»

«Her weapons. Yes, I know. Rain really wanted them, so my husband and I saved some money on a long time and then turned to a locksmith. Rain's very attached to her swords.» she said, showing that she knew a lot about her daughter. «This isn't why I'm perplexed. Why isn't Rain here? She doesn't want to see us?»

The SOLDIER held back a sigh. He should've imagined he was going to get in such a situation.

«She'll come to see you when the mission's over. She's currently busy, we must leave as soon as possible.»

She nodded.

«I see.»

She raised a hand to ask him to wait and returned to the house, reappearing shortly after with the two short swords in her hand.

«I put them aside, I knew she was going to need them...»

«Thank you.»

Sephiroth moved his hands to take them, but the woman seemed to hesitate and brought the Aikuchis closer to her.

«Just... one last thing...»

«M'am, I cannot afford delays.»

«I know! But I... I just want to...»

The woman suppressed a sob.

«Rainiel... admires you very much, General. She always doted on you, even at the time of your debut. If she became a SOLDIER it's because she wanted to become like you. She wanted to become a symbol of peace and protection.»

Sephiroth surrendered. He didn't understand the attachment of that mother, the need to necessarily explain to him something that he, after all, already knew. Wasn't it enough for her to know that Rainiel was fine?

Or maybe it was he who didn't understand...? Was that the love of a parent, of a mother? A love that he had never known and considered foreign?

«I know that she's very happy to be your student, and that she can reach any peak in her career. Even if she can't, she'll still be our child. Despite all that has happened, Rainiel's our only daughter and I know very well that she knows how much her parents love her. But I'm afraid something might happen to her. I don't know why, but today I've a strange feeling and I'm afraid it may be connected to Rain. That's why I've a favor to ask of you, General...»

Sephiroth waited for her to speak, now intrigued by her monologue.

«Please take care of her. I know that she's a good warrior, that she's strong and capable and that she isn't a fool. But what can a mother do, if not worry about her children? She's our whole life, my husband and I love her more than anything else in the world. So I ask you, from the bottom of my heart, to protect her and to be with her, today and in the future. Rainiel's very attached to you, although perhaps she doesn't prove it so much. You should see how she speaks of you, with that tone of total admiration. That's why I ask you, do you understand?» she said, almost desperately, «Can you promise me that?»

Sephiroth found himself somewhat displaced. What was he supposed to answer? He was certainly not a type of solemn promises, much less of similar sentimentalism. The concept of "protecting others" was dug deep in his morals, a cornerstone of his training as a SOLDIER and hero. Why was this woman so obsessed with the idea that Rain was safe, despite knowing that she could very well defend herself?

«Preventing my student from getting into trouble and hurting herself is my duty in any case. There's no need for promises of any kind.»

«So you'll keep her safe?»

«As long as I can.»

«I appreciate it. Really.»

The woman handed over the weapons to the SOLDIER.

«My husband and I will wait for Rainiel at home today. We can't wait to see her again. We just want her to know that everything can be fixed and that we love her unconditionally. I wish you all good luck on the mission!»

At the end of the conversation, Sephiroth took his leave quite quickly and retraced his steps, still somewhat surprised by the slightly too emotional words of the woman he had met.

He had never known his mother: was this his sentence? Would he never understand the nature of a mother's love? He'd never have experienced it, of course. And that had been a problem for him, perhaps when he was a kid. He had no mother. She was dead.

But Rainiel had someone, she had parents who'd do anything for her. Rain boasted the most beautiful gift a person could receive. The only one that Sephiroth had never understood, and who believed he could never understand: love.

* * *

**Chapter 26**

**THE HUNT BEGINS**

Rainiel finished getting ready and thought of anticipating one of the day's jobs: asking for information around the village about the latest sighting of the mako monster. Sephiroth would be back with her weapons soon, so she could do him a favor and take care of that task for him.

She left the house closing the door and stretching her arms, still sleepy. As she turned around, she found herself three feet away... from Zack, who was staring at her.

«Rain... ?»

The girl didn't initially understand what had upset him so much, until she realized that she had just left Sephiroth's house with a still sleepy expression.

«Oh.» in fact she exclaimed later, raising her hand. «No, no, no! Don't you dare! It's not like that!»

«Did you... did you sleep with... ?» he didn't finish the sentence.

«I might... I might have spent the night here, but it's not like we... !» she sighed and decided to tell Zack everything as they walked, although the boy was still reluctant to believe that the proud Sephiroth had given her his bed and slept on an uncomfortable sofa.

Luckily an old villager approached her with the intention of informing them: a few days earlier one of his nephews had glimpsed a strange creature climbing up the side of the mountain to a nearby cave. Perhaps they could've reached the sighting site in two or three hours of walking.

Sephiroth joined them shortly after, at his home. The two warriors were waiting for him on the steps at the entrance. The General handed the swords to the pupil and the two youngest told him what had happened.

So the order that he gave them was only one and simple to accept: "Let's leave immediately". He asked Zack to retrieve some climbing hooks at the local market, given the steepness of the mountain wall the old man had indicated to the group.

Rainiel started to follow him as he walked away, but a hand gently gripped her forearm, pulling her in the opposite direction. Sephiroth had stopped her to speak.

«Did something happen?» she asked, immediately scared.

«Your parents are very worried about you.»

She coughed a laugh.

«Sure... I guess.»

«I'm serious. I think you should talk to them tonight.» he repeated, «I'm not familiar with these type of things... but they still consider you their family. You are very lucky to have parents like them.»

Or to have parents in general. He couldn't say the same.

Rainiel sighed and tensed.

«Yes, I know. I'm sorry I had a fight with them. I'll fix it. Tonight we'll all go to eat with them, they wanted us to!» she finally smiled, beaming.

«Yes,» replied the other. «Sounds like a great idea.» The shadow of a smile on his face.

Zack hurried back and the long walk to the monster's cave began. The mission was dangerous and all three knew it, but that didn't mean they would've backed down.

They reached the steeper face after an hour of walking. They had some special grappling hooks, the only ones Zack could find: they could secure a rope high up to climb the area, but not pull them up, so he also bought ice axes and spiked boots. The handsome sum of gil offered by Shinra was considerably reduced in a single morning.

Ice axes in hand and maximum caution: the climb began. Sephiroth was the first to climb, followed by Zack and then by Rainiel, who soon found herself between the two: the climb was quite steep when they reached a certain point, so they found themselves blocked for a few moments at one point, more or less aligned.

Rainiel noticed a protruding rock that she could've reached and used as a launch pad to get to the top, so she reached for it, ready to grab it with her hand.

The cry of the beast, albeit far away, caught her off guard at the worst of times. She didn't know where it was hiding, but its heavy, powerful voice startled her and her hand slid across the rock the instant she'd just let go of the previous hold. Soon even the boots couldn't bear her weight, letting her fall down, with the danger that she'd land on the ground without any restraint or shelter from more than fifteen meters high.

She couldn't even scream, but thankfully her companions' reflexes were faster: Sephiroth's left hand tightly gripped the wrist of the hand that had lost its grip on the protruding rock, while Zack's right grabbed the other. Small rocks fell along the wall, and Rain was left dangling in the void.

«Rainiel!» Zack yelled, forcing his muscles to lift her up and rescue her. «Are you okay? Are you hurt?»

Rain was breathing fast, her heart pounding like mad.

«I think I'm fine...»

Stupidly she looked down, realizing how high it actually was. In fear she swung her feet and she groaned.

«Don't move.» Sephiroth ordered, before looking around. The top was very, very close. Maybe not even two meters up.

Zack tightened his grip, Rain's skin was already sweaty and for this she risked slipping off.

«We have to come up with something to help you... and fast!» he reminded all three of them.

Rain was terrified, but she watched her mentor who seemed to be calculating the remaining space down to the smallest detail, not missing a single millimeter.

«We have only one chance. We must throw Rainiel up there.» he pointed upward with a nod of his chin.

«What?!» the girl's heart sank. «It's a jump of almost two meters! Are you sure you can do it?»

«The alternative is to drop you, or we could all let go and hope that the bushes on the ground will cushion the damage. Neither seems like a good idea.»

«I bet they aren't! Okay then... we can do it!»

Zack gritted his teeth.

«For the Goddess' sake... oh, let's just hope this works!»

«On my mark, Zack. We must also take advantage of the right swing. Don't let go of Rainiel's wrist for anything in the world.»

«Received.»

The countdown marked the longest seconds of Rain's entire life: she had only one chance to grab onto the top ledge or she'd have fallen. Surviving something like that wasn't a very likely possibility, so she prayed silently and prepared to the throw.

At the three, finally, the two first-class SOLDIERs appealed to the strength of the biceps alone to make her dart upwards.

Rainiel stretched out her arms as far as she could and for a second she felt like she was flying, but immediately after she saw herself closer to the ledge and clung to it with all her strength. The throw was powerful enough to send her to the right height, so she was able to drag herself up to her elbows and then, retrieving the top of her grappling hook and throwing it against a nearby tree, she stretched the rope and used it to climb, ending up stretched out with the back against the damp grass.

«Rain?!» Zack shouted from down below, «Are you okay?!»

Shortly thereafter, the SOLDIER's reddish hair appeared from the ledge. The girl held up two fingers in victory.

«Never been better! Nice throw, guys!» she laughed, strangely amused.

Zack heaved a sigh of relief but Rain got the impression that Sephiroth had done the same thing.

«Can you go up?» then she asked them both.

«Yes, I've just found a safer way!» Zack answered.

«Perfect. Then I'll wait for you up here.»

Rain threw back her head and layed back on the grass.

As the two boys ascended, she opened her eyes and tilted her head back, until she saw what was hidden behind her. And she was stunned.

Zack and Sephiroth reached the top within a minute, finding her standing and immersed in the act of observing something in front of her.

«Are you all right, Rain?» asked her raven-haired friend, «You look like you just saw a ghost.»

«No, not a ghost...»

Rainiel pointed to a huge cave, right in front of her. Deep scratch marks and the remains of devoured game were like decorations at its entrance.

«... but we have the beast's nest here.»

* * *

**Chapter 27**

**END OF THE WORLD**

Rainiel, Zack, and Sephiroth had thus reached their destination: in front of them a large dark cave extended into the side of the mountain, near the top. Behind them, the wall seemed much steeper and more dangerous. It was possible to see the horizon lines cut sky and earth and, on the slopes of the hill, you could see the roofs of the houses of Darefall, small red spots and apparently a little crowded.

«According to that cry we heard earlier, the monster should be in there.» Zack confidently pointed to the mouth of the cave, then swallowed. «And he could come out any moment.»

«Indeed.» Sephiroth proved him right, «That's why we have to wait for it to do it. It's practically trapped now.»

«Will we ambush him?» Rain asked with blood freezing in her veins. Two nights earlier, a very similar beast had risked killing both of them.

«Precisely. We'll lure the monster with noises, then we'll hide. When it appears, we'll bomb it with three Firaga spells.»

«A nice 'boom', in short. I like this idea!» Zack commented crossing his arms.

It was necessary to act quickly, so they all chose a hiding place to stand and wait for the enemy to show up. Rainiel volunteered to be like a bait: she needed to make a lot of noise to lure the monster out and outwit it, figuratively speaking.

She thought the best bet was to scream at the top of her lungs and leave the rest to the echo. She positioned herself right in front of the cave and put her hands in a cone in front of her face.

«Hey, buddy! We're right here!» she shouted indicating her position.

She heard nothing but a dull rattle from the bottom of the cave: maybe it had fallen asleep? She tried again, continuing to shout "hey" to lure it, then she also used an Aero blast to fly some wood and some rocks scattered in front of her: these whirled dangerously in the air, drifting away in the dark.

Most likely they landed on the monster, if not on top of it, because it seemed to wake up in a bad mood.

The creature's cry was so powerful it terrified Rain, causing her to fall backwards, onto her rear.

The girl got up quickly and drew one of the swords, backing away slowly.

She could see them: big eyes flashing in the dark. Identical to hers in terms of color, but definitely more ferocious and evil.

«Oh, damn... do these monsters get bigger and bigger every time?» she cursed as the beast's body began to emerge from the darkness.

As usual, the monster resembled a giant chimera with fluorescent green skin, a furious pile of muscles abandoned to its murderous instincts. The face resembled that of a curious alligator, with a more flattened muzzle than usual, the body instead tended to more anthropomorphic features, except for the very long claws at the top of each limb, the long scaled tail and some streaks on the shoulders and legs.

Rain reached back as far as possible and clenched one hand into a fist, starting to summoning a Firaga. She had to be the one to give the signal, so the beast had to reach a certain point where it wouldn't risk tumbling down the mountain onto the city, or hiding in the cave again.

Two more fireballs began to glow among the shrubs: Zack and Sephiroth were ready.

The monster stopped and aimed at her, ready to jump on her. She screamed and took a run.

«NOW!» Rainiel yelled, throwing the inflamed cloud straight at the creature's face. It tried to dodge it, but another Firaga crashed into its side, burning it. In doing so, the creature was distracted and was also hit in the chest, then also in the back by the one thrown by Zack, to its right.

With a monstrous cry, it began to spin around and hit whatever it saw with its long tail and claws, but it just knocked down some innocent trees.

What mattered was that the fight had finally begun, so the three brave SOLDIERS approached to attack the enemy.

Zack came first, fast as lightning, and tried two feints to the left and then up, then dodged a paw of the monster, passing a breath from its legs. He grabbed the Buster Sword Angeal had handed down to him, and brought it down hard against one of its ankles.

The monster was more furious than ever and tried to hurt him as he walked away, but Rainiel jumped on its clawed hand and pinned it to the ground puncturing it with both Aikuchis, then extracting them and fleeing with a leap on her back.

When the creature turned to attack her, it instead came face to face with Sephiroth, placed right in front of Rainiel, who had absolutely no intention of allowing it to hurt his pupil. With a cruel look, the legendary SOLDIER swung his sword as if it weighed as much as a feather, not only cutting off some claws of the enemy, but also managing to pierce the entire shoulder and causing a deep cut that went from the chest to the belly of the creature, which fell to its knees.

Sephiroth seemed pretty sure: he wouldn't allow another beast like that to reduce him to the same condition he was in two nights before.

By now the beast was exhausted and the fight was proving easier than expected, perhaps because all three were fighting together, with a very specific plan in mind and after having rested and regained strength. All that remained was to continue to fight together, attacking the vital points to kill the monster.

Rainiel leapt onto its shoulders as the creature kept its head down: she just needed to deliver a blow to its neck and put an end to that story. She'd spend the rest of the day more peacefully and clear up with her parents before leaving for Midgar.

Despite that... she hesitated. Deep down, she knew that the creature she was about to kill wasn't all that different from her: it was an innocent being once, and had been subjected to cruelties never seen before, an experiment that had turned it into the monster in front of her eyes. Was there really no other solution? Or was Rainiel's good intentions just a childish and certainly very foolish wish?

Surely stopping to think at that moment wasn't a good idea. Zack and Sephiroth had returned to attack and the first of them attempted a front lunge, hitting the enemy's right arm.

A spray of blood flew into the air right at Rainiel, who was reflected in one of her hands, the same one she had cut, albeit not badly, when she was trying to climb the slippery wall to reach the top.

That blood alone was enough to unleash a catastrophe. That one gesture.

When Rainiel opened her eyes, stained with the blood of their opponent, she no longer felt the confines of her body, as if she were sleeping. As if she were trapped in a dream. Was it another vision? Right at that moment? It wasn't good at all.

Rainiel was lost in the void, there was nothing but darkness around her. She tried to concentrate: she was conscious, but she had to get back to reality as soon as possible. Gradually she noticed small distant lights. Stars... those were stars. It was the boundless sky, that place where her mind was lost.

A stronger light, behind her, drew her. Somehow, she managed to turn in its direction, observing the scariest sight she had ever seen in her life. A witness to what she'd call... the apocalypse.

Gaia: her planet, her land. Her house, right? Even if there were cells of a monster in her, it remained her home. But something terrifying was happening, because a huge sphere was approaching the planet threateningly, slow to see but certainly unstoppable.

A meteor. A huge meteor was about to hit Gaia.

Rainiel screamed, but her scream was lost in the void, inaudible.

Was the future unfolding before her eyes? Fate? It was the end of everything, or perhaps a new beginning. Either way, Rainiel was determined to prevent that from happening.


	10. Catastrophe / Colder than ever / Effects of a loss / The Ancient

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight against the mako monster ends in tragedy for Rain and her friends. What happens leaves the girl plunging into a vortex of despair stronger than ever, but it also leads her to open up to a person dear to her, telling the truth about her origins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters contained in this are:
> 
> • Chapter 28: Catastrophe  
> • Chapter 29: Colder than ever  
> • Chapter 30: Effects of a loss  
> • Chapter 31: The Ancient

**Chapter 28**

**CATASTROPHE**

Zack looked at the scene in terror: why was Rainiel standing still?

He had tried to attack the creature again, but it had regained some strength. Sephiroth, like him, had tried to deliver as many strikes as possible, but now that the beast was recovering he could only get away and dodge its next attack.

The General also watched Rain in bewilderment, taking a step to reach her and calling her name, not knowing what the hell was jumping into her mind, for being so dazed in the middle of the battle.

Zack was quicker, however. As soon as he saw the mako monster raise an arm to grab and kill his best friend, he leapt, attacking its hand and knocking it back, then wrapping his arm around Rain's side and jumping off the monster's shoulders, landing not quite perfectly behind it. A claw reached him in the back, but Zack endured the pain and attacked with his Buster sword, this time wounding its wrist. He was dirty from head to toe: mud, dust, weeds, and most of all blood. His own and that of the monster, greener and brighter, which remained on his hands and clothes.

He took advantage of the moment when Sephiroth returned to attack to focus on Rainiel, who he shook hard.

«Rain! Rain, are you okay?»

His friend, lying on the ground with an expression lost in the void, finally seemed to come to her senses. She got up with a scream, the same one she had tried to deliver in her terrible vision.

The vision... what had she seen? She no longer remembered, at least not everything. Just as if she had just awakened from a nightmare, she only remembered the feeling of pure fear gripping her like a metal vise tightly around her heart, and that dark sky enveloping her in a cold embrace.

Zack tried to reassure her.

«Hey, hey, calm down! It's me, Zack! The guy who always makes bad jokes at inopportune moments, remember?»

«Zack...» Rain called softly, coming to her senses. She looked around, confused. Something was happening.

Her friend smiled and then took a closer look at her, his expression turning into a much more concerned one.

«Damn... the big beast must have hurt you while I was trying to get you to safety...»

Rain followed the direction of his gaze, but finding her own wound was easy as she began to feel the sensation of warm blood running down her back. A claw must have pierced her armor and then her shoulder, but the circulating adrenaline didn't allow her to feel the pain, just an annoying sting.

Zack wisely thought of dabbing the wound, perhaps to bandage it, but unconsciously triggered another vision, the instant the creature's blood on his hands made contact with what was running on Rain's skin as he tried to clean it.

_This time the vision was faster and less immersive, as if a sequence of images were projected in front of her eyes, in the same way that a film camera showed the recorded scenes._

_A red drop was falling slowly, she'd dare to say in slow motion, onto a laboratory glass slide. The scientist who had dropped it still held the pipette in his hand and his forehead was furrowed: it seemed that it wasn't the first time he had tried the experiment._

_The drop touched the liquid on the slide: it was blood. Had he really spilled blood on more blood? What was the point of what he was doing?_

_But then, on the table he was working on, something shone with its own light. A red light just like blood, dark and mysterious._

_The scientist smiled satisfied, waiting. And under his eyes something, in fact, was created: a luminous sphere. Rainiel couldn't help but think that it seemed, in effect, a materia. Just like the elementals or any other type, but it was darker than the summoners and its core looked almost... black._

_The sphere dissolved shortly after, more fragile than the crystal, disintegrating like a sand castle with the slightest wave of the sea._

_The scientist, however, didn't stop smiling. Deep, unsuspecting eyes peered back at him. Faint and muffled, in the background the cry of a child._

This time it was like returning to the surface after hours of freediving underwater in a cold ocean. Likewise, Rain emerged from her vision with a deep breath, her lungs full of air again but her mind confused.

What was happening to her? Why was she seeing all those strange scenes lately? The worst part was that she couldn't remember the details, so she had only a few simple memories left and, above all, the clear feeling of fear and disorientation. It was terrible, she felt like she was stuck in a nightmare from which it was very difficult to wake up.

She found herself on the ground, with a wounded side, not too deep furrows on the skin. Zack was no longer beside her, perhaps he had been thrown away or had walked away to take cover. Fact was the monster had returned to charge at them and this time it intended to really hurt them.

She heard something creak behind her and, as she turned, she froze at the sight of a falling tree trunk, ready to crash onto her body. She still couldn't move completely, frightened and confused, so she couldn't help but tremble and pray for a miracle to happen.

Her miracle was Sephiroth, or rather his infallible reflexes and his excellent timing. It wasn't the first time he saved her life.

The man jumped in front of her with the Masamune in his hand and literally sliced through the trunk of the tree that was about to hit her, sending each piece away with a swipe or kick. The blade whipped the air one last time and stopped abruptly without even vibrating.

Rain caught his eye: the mentor was watching her from above, clearly annoyed. He didn't stop there for long.

«S-»

Rainiel barely managed to mention the first letter of his name, because he immediately opened his mouth to speak.

«Rainiel!» he called raising his voice and frightening her, «Focus! This isn't a game!»

A real disappointed reproach. Sephiroth moved with very rapid steps, leaving Rainiel alone and definitely not improving her condition.

The girl had a real panic attack. Suddenly it seemed to her that she no longer had enough air available, she found it hard to breathe. Her vision blurred and a weight gripped her stomach. She had goosebumps all over her body, as if the wind blowing up there was four times colder than reality.

Lost, she tried to look around but didn't immediately recognize the woods around her, the distant landscape or the cave behind her.

She could only remember Zack and Sephiroth, fighting dangerously close to the cliff with the monster who, despite having been reduced to pitiful conditions, had no intention of giving up.

The girl felt nothing but her own breathing and the mad beating of her heart. She wanted it all to end. She wanted that madness to end, those sudden visions, that battle that could've ended who knows how many minutes ago.

"Kill it..." she wanted to say, but she couldn't. She was out of breath or, on the contrary, she had the feeling that she was. She repeated these words in her mind so many times that she felt like she was going mad. She continued until other voices joined hers: the voice of her parents telling her the truth, that of Jadin reading the documents on Project Yoshua, that of Zack trying to comfort her.

Finally, that of Sephiroth, first furious while scolding her, then calmer.

« _You don't necessarily have to be what your past imposes on you. Who you really are and what will your future bring, it's up to you to decide._ »

Oh, that past... that cursed past that haunted her from the moment she was born. She had never had second chances in life, perhaps only in her career. She felt deluded, lost, tired. Tired of all of it. So tired she wanted to scream until she was sick.

And that was what she did, the only thing she could do.

She clasped her hands to her head in despair and let out a scream that stunned her. A long moan that turned into a high-pitched whistle in her ears.

The wind blew harder, shaking the branches of the trees.

Soon both the SOLDIER and the monster a few meters away seemed to be looking at the ground, confused.

The ground... was shaking. The pebbles, the twigs and everything that rested on the ground began to vibrate as if they jumped and fell, jumped and fell.

Nature was letting off steam, the Planet was showing its power.

Or maybe it was just Rainiel?

The monster backed away in fear of that force, but wasn't cautious enough. If only it had moved elsewhere, it'd have avoided a disaster. Instead it stepped on the edge of the precipice.

The earth cracked under its feet, cracking for tens of meters. Soon the ground broke and engulfed it in the void, as the great rock wall collapsed dangerously taking the monster away with it.

Even when Rain stopped screaming and stared in amazement, the ground continued to crack in her direction.

Zack and Sephiroth recognized the danger and ran towards her to get everyone to safety.

As the wall collapsed at an astonishing speed and threatened to cause them to fall along the side of the mountain, they reached their mission partner and lifted her by the arms, then moved to a safer area, securing themselves behind some sturdy trees.

A few seconds later, the landslide stopped but it was still possible to hear heavy boulders, who knows how many, rolling down quickly, an enormous danger.

The monster was certainly dead, buried under all those rocks, but the problem was now another.

Rainiel quickly became clear when she focused only on that problem. As the noise continued, she remembered something that made her blood run cold.

« _Darefall_...» she uttered in a whisper.

«Yes,» Zack nodded, «We have to get back to Darefall right away, the mission is done!»

«No...» she said. «Darefall... is at the foot of the mountain. The landslide fell on Darefall.»

The three SOLDIERS exchanged quick glances. They had just witnessed a catastrophe.

* * *

**Chapter 29**

**COLDER THAN EVER**

Returning to Darefall was the most horrifying journey Rainiel ever had to face. At every step she risked stumbling, not only because of the obstacles on the ground due to the landslide, but also because she had bated breath, a fixed thought in her head: that of returning to the village as soon as possible.

Zack and Sephiroth were obviously worried too, but Rainiel was running so fast that they had to increase the pace themselves to reach her, despite being SOLDIERS first class.

Finally they reached the slopes of the mountain, to then cross a small wooded stretch and return to Darefall: at the edge of the town, they were greeted by several distant cackles, confused and frightened voices, and a cloud of dust and dirt that made the eyes sting.

Rain didn't stop to notice these details. It had been over an hour since the landslide, but it seemed only a few seconds had passed. The girl plunged into the brown mist, with a clear goal in mind.

«Rain, wait!» Zack tried to scream, but his words weren't heard. «Damn, where's she going?!» he exclaimed, this time addressing the mission companion at his side as he covered his nose and mouth with a cloth and squashed his eyelids.

«I think I know.» announced the silver-haired man, accelerating significantly and taking the same back road chosen by his pupil.

Rainiel ran headlong until she found herself at a dead end. She knew those streets like the back of her hand, she had spent her childhood in the little square in the heart of the village, or running through the streets that connected her school to her friends' houses or to the bar, a regular meeting place for all the citizens of Darefall.

That was the right way. It had to be. How many times had she stepped on those pebbles, returning from a long day of exploring the woods with her peers?

Her house was in that direction. That was the road she was looking for, the one to go. But there was nothing before her but a gigantic mass of rocks that stretched out until they vanished into the dusty smoke.

She stood for a moment, her eyes wide open and her throat dry.

A hand tried to grab her arm. She didn't know if it was Zack's, Sephiroth's or some citizen's, she just jolted free and ran again, this time ignoring the roads to get around the mountain of rocks.

It was Zack who had tried to get her attention, without success. He couldn't help but run again and sigh.

«It was... It was right here, wasn't it?» he asked alluding to the house.

Sephiroth nodded once, his face grim.

Rainiel didn't find another way. She stopped her run in the middle of nowhere, in an overgrown garden that should've been not many meters from her home.

Zack and Sephiroth joined her shortly after: they had been stopped along the way by many citizens, some even wounded, who had asked them for help in the situation in a fit of fear. They had directed them to a safe area and would join them as soon as possible.

Sooner than expected, actually, because when Sephiroth saw his student digging through the rubble with her bare hands to clear a path, blinded by pain, he blocked Zack's way without second thoughts.

«What are you doing, Sephiroth? Let me pass!»

«Go to the townspeople and start evacuating the village. Meet with local security members and look for missing persons. I'll take care of Rainiel.»

«But-»

«That's an order.»

Zack pursed his lips. He realized for himself that perhaps Rain would more easily listen to her mentor's harsh calls than a friend's softer ones. He took one last look at her and then did as asked.

At that point Sephiroth approached the girl at a moderate pace, finding the scene even heartbreaking. He had never seen her reduced to such conditions.

Rain lifted whole boulders by herself and threw them away as if she didn't feel the weight. With her eyes wide open and her hair completely untidy, she screamed her parents' names in the wind.

« _Mom! Dad!_ » she called over and over, scratching the rock. « _Where are you? Where are you?! Answer me, please!_ »

Finally, Sephiroth was behind her.

«Rainiel...»

« _Mom, Dad!_ », he was totally ignored, « _Please! Please answer! Can you hear me?!_ »

«Rainiel.»

«I know, I know you're here. Are you okay, right? _I'm here, I'll help you_. Mom, dad...»

There was nothing else to do. Sephiroth walked over and took her by both wrists, forcing her to move away from the rubble of the landslide.

«Let me go! Let go of me immediately!» she protested, trying to bang her fists against his chest. «I have to help my parents, don't you understand? Let me go, damn it!» she shouted.

«Rain!»

This time the SOLDIER's call thundered harder. He showed Rainiel her own hands: they were full of scratches and cuts, her nails were bleeding in streams. She was hurting herself without even realizing it, and she didn't care, but it didn't matter anyway. She could never have moved a mountain.

Her eyes filled with tears, the only sign of clarity at that moment. More rational than before, she slowly realized what was happening.

«Sephiroth... my house is there... it's right over there...»

«Yes, Rain. I know.»

«We must move these boulders. We can do it, right? _We are SOLDIERS... we are strong..._ we must save the wounded...»

Slowly, Rain lowered her head and sobbed.

Sephiroth didn't let go of her wrists. He feared she'd run into the rubble again.

Had they been few, he would've gladly indulged her wish to save anyone who needed help. But the pile of boulders was as heavy as a hill and just as big. Anyone who had been stuck under that pile for more than a few minutes had no hope of surviving, especially considering that more than one house had been destroyed and submerged by the landslide.

Sephiroth knew where Rain's parents were, he knew very well, but he didn't have the heart to remind her of that detail right now.

«We have to go back to the others.»

«Yes... Maybe my parents are with them!»

Rainiel categorically refused to accept the truth and whizzed back to the meeting point in case of emergency, followed by the General.

By pure chance, they also found among some wounded the old man who had given them directions that morning to the monster's lair.

After rescuing them and making sure they weren't seriously injured, Rain asked for information to find her family.

«I'm so sorry, Rainiel...» the old man coughed, «I saw them coming home just before this tragedy happened, back from the market. Most likely they were at home when... when...»

Sephiroth noticed Rain's eyes lose the little light that always shone deep within them, that flame fueled by the hope that had always characterized them.

Rain was devastated. She managed to walk away for a few meters without a word but soon, stunned and unable to continue even crying, she gave in and fell to her knees in the middle of the road and the dust.

Her mentor joined her, crouching beside her. He tried to look at her directly, but she evaded his gaze. Her eyes were lost who knows where, perhaps in nowhere.

She was whispering something inaudible, repeating the same phrase over and over.

Sephiroth listened and finally understood.

« _It's all my fault_.» murmured the girl.

When he heard those words, he put aside his disproportionate pride and any trace of that arrogance that distinguished him, wrapping both arms tightly around the girl's shoulders, stiff but at the same time struck by violent shivers. He pushed her head against his shoulder and held her in a comforting embrace, knowing that he couldn't give her parents back, but at least trying not to make her feel alone in that terrible moment, in that irremediable misfortune that had struck her. He knew what it meant to feel so alone, and now that Rain had lost the people who raised her, he for no reason in the world wanted her to feel the way he had felt all his childhood. He didn't want her to consider herself an orphan.

They'd later depart to return to Midgar as losers rather than winners, but the greatest defeat wasn't the inability to retrieve the downed monster.

Rain abandoned herself to total emptiness, to the knowledge that she had lost her parents without the possibility of helping them, greeting them or even just reconciling with them. She had told them some horrible things, despite everything they had done for her.

A piece of her heart was destroyed forever and, for once, not even Sephiroth's unusual and sweet gesture could do anything to make her feel better.

The world was colder than ever.

* * *

**Chapter 30**

**EFFECTS OF A LOSS**

Rain decided not to return to Midgar for a few more days. Although their presence was required at the Shinra Tower by the company's upper floors, Zack and Sephiroth also chose to stay in Darefall with her.

Within a few days many things changed: first of all, survivors, victims and missing people were found. The former were very few in comparison to the others. Finally, Rainiel's parents were also identified among the victims. The news was reported by the village chief himself, but no one offered her their condolences.

For some reason, despite not knowing what had generated the landslide, the inhabitants of Darefall responded to the human instinct and vice of having to necessarily blame someone for an event that it is not possible to understand, so they knocked down this hard responsibility on the SOLDIERS that had visited them, a sentence that had no proof or excuse, but which Rainiel chose to carry of her own free will. Often pointed out and mentioned in the village, the SOLDIERS were even approached by the bravest who dared to urge them to move out of their homes. The sooner they left Darefall, the better for everyone.

In addition, the village gradually emptied itself: following the landslide, many families collected their belongings, put them on a cart and left in search of fortune elsewhere. They'd move to the slums of Midgar, or perhaps to some small town like Darefall, for example Nibelheim. The fact is that they didn't tell anyone, least of all Rain.

On a rainy summer day, the funeral was held, and soon after, Rainiel asked permission from her superiors to hire a wagon and set off for Midgar. She felt in her heart that she'd never see Darefall again, but she didn't pause to think about it much.

The return trip took exactly two days, with a stop at an inn run by somewhat sloppy owners.

Rain didn't say a word the whole time, nor did she cry. When asked a question, she answered in monosyllables. She refused to eat or move more than she should.

Even once returned to Midgar, the situation didn't change. The news of the destruction of a large part of the town of Darefall caused a sensation, spreading like a virus and traveling from ear to ear, aided by local news and by the statements of survivors who had moved to the city.

The first mission conducted by the legendary general of SOLDIER Sephiroth that resulted in a defeat: how could it ever go unnoticed? Reporters invaded the hall of the building, demanding to interview him and his two companions, unaware that one of them had lost her parents in the catastrophe. Sephiroth was pretty clear about it: he didn't intend to make any statements, so security might have kicked out those cheap reporters unable to show any sympathy.

The first suppositions arose about a probable fault of the SOLDIERS themselves regarding the landslide: a monster had been recovered from the rubble and the Shinra had sent the Turks, this time, to recover the body to be able to study it. The operation also included Vaneja, Rain's friend.

"As if they didn't already know what it is," the red-haired warrior would've said if only she hadn't had her head elsewhere.

Barricaded in her room, she didn't care how much Shinra played the part of humanity's friendly company worried about the appearance of a previously unidentified monster. She'd barely agreed to see Zack once or twice, who after doing whatever it takes to get her out of her self-imposed prison of tear-soaked sheets and pillows, had never been allowed to visit her again.

A week passed. The reporters were still hungry for news and Rainiel did nothing but hide in that safe nest, or at least the only place in the world where she could be alone, now that her home had become a pile of wood and stone.

She still couldn't realize what had happened. It seemed to her that she was living a dream, she felt ready to wake up at any moment. But that wasn't a dream, nor a nightmare. It was something much worse... real life.

One late afternoon, when the first rains had begun to wet Midgar, Rain let her nose emerge from the blankets of her bed and felt her forehead as she looked at the ceiling. Physically she couldn't have been better. Her body was full of energy, but hadn't enough charge to use it.

The world around her seemed so strange to her. How long hadn't she been up from that bed? She couldn't even remember the last time she ate or slept, but she was willing to bet days had passed.

She hadn't fought her pain, she had hugged it, basking in guilt. Blaming herself for everything was the only way she could find to keep moving forward.

Wait... and then do what? She was reduced to a ghost. She was starving herself to death. Sooner or later, perfect health or not, her body would fail. Her mind may have already done so.

A bell rang.

Rain pulled the blankets over her head again and turned away. They could go to hell, whoever those nuisances at the door were.

It rang again.

Rain cast a single glance at the entrance. She hadn't answered fifteen seconds ago, why should she have done it now?

This time, someone knocked hard.

«Rain, open this door. I know for sure you're in there.» a man said.

Zack? Was it possible that he was back again? It had taken him a week to realize that Rainiel would never open that door again, and now he was suddenly returning?

«Go away.» she exclaimed. She was surprised to hear her own voice. She hadn't talked for days.

He knocked again. As stubborn as a mule. The handle went up and down, a sign that whoever was beyond that wall was determined to enter.

Surprised even more, Rain got out of bed and finally felt the cold of the tiles under the bare soles of her feet.

She walked over to the door and put her ear to it when it stopped shaking.

«I told you to go away! Didn't you hear me?»

Again, the door received a particularly strong knuckle strike.

Startled, Rain stepped back and then, more furious, opened the door.

«What don't you understand about the concept of...?!»

She froze when she found a rather tired General Sephiroth in front of her: making him wait had never been a good idea, in any context.

The SOLDIER folded his arms, composing himself.

«May I come in, now?» he asked more severely.

Rainiel had forgotten everything for a moment. One fleeting moment. When the pain of loss returned, she cared little who was in front of her.

«I want to be alone. If Zack sends you, tell him not to worry.» she exclaimed before closing the door.

Or at least, trying to close it: a boot was placed between the door and the jamb, blocking it. Sephiroth's hand overlapped the girl's and pushed the door until it opened without too much trouble, also because Rain didn't resist.

«I'm not sent by Zack. And I know you'd like to be alone, but I have some important news for you.» he explained calmly, looking down at her as always. Shortly thereafter, he raised an eyebrow, convinced that he had emerged victorious from that little argument. «So, will you let me in?»

Rainiel cocked her head and refrained from snorting. What did it matter? One more hassle or one less .. nothing was going right anyway lately. She moved to clear the road and with an unhappy expression spread her arm to introduce him to the house. It would be a brief meeting, she hoped.

* * *

**Chapter 31**

**THE ANCIENT**

Sephiroth walked confidently into the room but slowed down shortly after passing the front door, which Rain closed. He looked around, noting the shabby look of the house. Certainly Rainiel hadn't dusted in a while, many things were even scattered on the floor, others were broken. A pile of blankets was stacked next to the bed, he could see it from there thanks to the open-space nature of the apartment offered to the young warrior after she had joined the SOLDIER division.

«And you wanted me to tell Zack not to worry?» he didn't hold back from asking.

«If your intention is to be ironic, you can leave right away. I'm not in the mood for a laugh.» Rainiel replied sourly, passing him and taking her place at a cluttered table, which she freed by moving everything to a chair. She crossed her legs on the chair cover and closed her hands around her ankles.

«Ironic? I don't see anything to joke about.» he continued, reaching her. «Rain, you can't go on like this. You're voluntarily destroying yourself. And how long have you not eaten? You're a skeleton.»

«Making dinner hasn't been my priority lately.» Rainiel was really bothered by all that sudden thoughtfulness.

«It should be.»

«No, not if I recently lost the people I loved most in the world in a horrible way, after yelling at them and running away from home.»

«I know how difficult it is to go on, but you have to do it. You cannot-»

«I don't think you really know, actually!» Rain thumped her fist on the table. Her head seemed to be on fire. «How can you understand me, really? I'm the one who lost her parents, not you!»

A long silence fell upon the room.

Before Rainiel even understood what she had said, Sephiroth heard those words pierce him in full, a blow he couldn't have parried in any way. Ironic, for a legendary SOLDIER. He narrowed his eyes, blinking rapidly and parted his lips for a moment, then he squeezed them and looked down, taking his attention away from Rain.

On the other hand, at first she thought she had let off steam by raising her voice. Then, however, she sensed all the regret and guilt she could have drawn from it. She started to get up, white in the face, her mouth wide open from the mistake she had just made.

What the hell had she just said? Sephiroth knew very well the pain of having to grow up without parents, he had revealed it himself. And she had accused him without thinking. What a fool, she told herself!

«Oh... oh my goodness, Sephiroth, forgive me... I- I didn't mean to...» she stammered uncontrollably.

It was he who stopped her.

«No, it's okay.» he pronounced in a voice as cold and sharp as a stalactite, taking his place in turn.

Rain thought to shut up before saying more nonsense, but she didn't forgive herself for hurting him like that.

«As I said, I'm not here just to offer you my condolences. I guess you haven't bothered to watch the news lately, so I'm bringing you the latest related to the Darefall incident as well.»

Rainiel was distracted upon hearing that title.

«Incident?" she echoed.

«It was a landslide that destroyed part of the village, not us. The SOLDIER squad stood well away from the cliff as they fought the creature found in the rubble. The latter, wounded and frightened, quickly moved away towards the area which then collapsed due to the shots thrown empty and its enormous weight. The SOLDIERS couldn't do anything to prevent it.»

«But...» the girl rubbed her head, confused, «... But that's not how it went!»

«Yes, it is, at least according to the press and all those who weren't there at the time. Because that's what I told when I reported, asking Zack to support my version.»

Rain raised her bright, clear eyes, shocked.

«Did you... did you mask the truth to prevent the blame from falling on us?»

He crossed his arms.

«You said you wanted to be a first-class. News like this permanently ruin your reputation if you are a SOLDIER. The world is always looking for someone to blame, but we won't be putting such a weight on our backs.»

He had squinted his eyes and then slowly opened them again.

«... Besides, the fault was never ours. The ground would've collapsed sooner or later, however, if a creature was heavy enough.»

Rainiel covered her face, sighing.

«I, on the other hand... really think it's my fault.»

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. He didn't seem to get it. Perhaps he still believed that the latest strange events he had witnessed were the work of monsters like R-12, a name he didn't even know, and he didn't suspect her at all.

Rainiel, however, felt responsible for everything that had happened. The mission had failed because of her, because those visions that appeared before her had frightened her.

She'd had a panic attack in the middle of the fight and it set off a bomb. She herself was the bomb ready to explode at any moment. She knew she could be dangerous to others and this was also why she had begun to isolate herself. She felt that her parents were dead because she had caused that side of the mountain to collapse, and not just them. The victims had been many and no one could ever bring them back. Most importantly, she'd never go back to Darefall again.

«I doubt it was your scream that caused the ground to collapse.» the man answered promptly.

«But what if...» Rain hesitated, but continued after taking a breath, «... What if it was?»

«This risk doesn't exist. It wasn't an avalanche, the sound has nothing to do with it.»

«Sephiroth...»

Rain ran a hand through his hair. She was uncertain, but she wanted to say something. She was... scared.

«You... do you know who the Cetra are? The Ancients.»

Her heart seemed to burst.

"Am I really doing this?" she wondered silently, "Am I revealing the truth to him too?"

Then she thought she had nothing else to lose. And that, therefore, she should've done it without second thoughts. If he considered her a monster, pushed her away, then she would just shut herself in even more. Se would abandon her dream. It didn't matter now. However, her life was falling apart.

The silver-haired youth watched her even more confused, but attentive.

«Of course I know.» he replied, perhaps somewhat brusquely, «But what does that have to do with the discussion? They went extinct hundreds of years ago.»

«Yes, it's true. But immediately after their extinction... well... something closely related to me happened.»

She took a breath. She could do it.

«Sephiroth, Shinra has kept many things hidden. It doesn't matter if you are a General or an ordinary citizen, these are secrets they didn't want to re-emerge. For example, they didn't say they started an experiment that somehow intended to bring the Cetra back to life and enhance their abilities.»

«Explain yourself better, Rain. I still don't understand.»

Sephiroth was more nervous now. He evidently couldn't bear to have the situation get out of hand.

She nodded.

«Do you know Professor Hojo?»

«That walking mass of complexes? The failed scientist? Unfortunately yes.»

Rain sighed: she guessed he didn't particularly like that slimy man either.

«It was he who conducted such experiments. He tried and tried, and then began testing his hypotheses on humans. Finally... he created one in the lab. A real human... who according to him would've enjoyed the gift of the Cetra. It would've been connected to the planet... it could literally have controlled nature, or something like that...»

Sephiroth seemed to stiffen.

«Rainiel, get to the point. Are you saying that that human...?»

«That human… that little girl… it's me. A human creature born without parents. It's as if I were a monster, as I had already mentioned to you.»

In another moment, Sephiroth would've repeated for the umpteenth time that her origins did not define her but, in that instant, he couldn't but remain silent, with his lips tightened and his hands placed in front of his mouth, elbows on table and legs and back stiff like never before. Deep in his thoughts, he plunged Rain into utter anxiety as she still awaited an answer. Any. Rainiel needed his feedback, be it positive or negative.

«The product of an experiment… the replica of a being superior to any human in every respect. How did Hojo make a human being born out of nothing, without the existence of any parent?» he asked more of himself than of her.

Fortunately, from his tone of voice it could be deduced that Sephiroth didn't seem to consider Rain a dangerous creature, but the revelation had perhaps even ended up increasing the respect he had for her.

«He didn't spawn me out of nothing… I was born from some anonymous human cells, never needing a womb. The only one I could consider my biological parent, however... is Yoshua.»

«The name is new to me.»

«It was to me too, a month ago. Let me tell you his story...»

And so she did. She told him about Yoshua's peaceful collision with their planet, about the finding in the crater of the now extinct volcano, about the experiments conducted on the alien. After all, it was from him that they had taken the cells used to create Rainiel, who didn't know whether to call herself her daughter... or something more like a clone. A replica, as Sephiroth had said.

«So you're an Ancient.» Sephiroth deduced after a good half hour of discussion. It had taken a long time to process it all, but he seemed to be connecting the various pieces of the puzzle. It was the first time Rain had seen him so... upset.

«Oh, no… I don't think so. I feel no real connection with the planet. There is no connection... it is just something instinctive. Something that I can't control, but that aims to protect me when I'm scared or in danger.» she sighed, «Do you see why I keep saying it's my fault? I caused that landslide. All those victims are marked on my conscience. Yet, I swear, I've never wanted to hurt anyone.»

A brief pause followed, during which Sephiroth's clear eyes sought her, no longer offended by the debate they had had upon his arrival.

«This is taken for granted. I'm not afraid of your potential, Rain. If it weren't for your instincts, I would've ended up badly that night in the forest when the mako creature attacked. One of the R-Copies, if I remember correctly?»

«Yes, the first one to be killed was named R-12, or Rainiel 12. They are failed products of the same experiment tried on me, as far as I have been able to learn.»

«That 'twelve' suggests that there are many others, some of which are free. No, I'm not afraid of your gift at all, Rain, on the contrary... I think this nature of yours can be controlled. Used exclusively for your benefit.»

Finally some good news for Rain: could she really learn to exploit her dangerous potential? She didn't know yet, but with Sephiroth by her side to instruct her it would've been much easier.


	11. Madman's diary / Jenova, calamity from the skies / Face-to-face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As if Rain's life hasn't already been turned upside down, a diary comes into her possession. It belongs to Hojo, and will help her discover a lot about Sephiroth's past, a past he himself ignores.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 32: Madman's diary  
> • Chapter 33: Jenova, calamity from the skies  
> • Chapter 34: Face-to-face

* * *

**Chapter 32**

**MADMAN'S DIARY**

All in all, Rainiel was pleased to receive Sephiroth's visit. She hadn't talked to anyone in a long time but it was enough to open up to him, tell him the truth, and she felt like she had taken a big step towards healing the wounds in her heart. She still felt guilty about what she had told him, but she knew she'd fix it sooner or later.

They spent about an hour together, after which the General received a business message: his attention was required elsewhere, on the upper floors.

Sephiroth greeted and opened the door to go out, accompanied there by the host, but both soon found themselves face to face with a third person.

Jadin withdrew the hand with which she was about to knock on the door and blushed suddenly, not expecting to find herself in front of the General of SOLDIER. She promptly hid her hands behind her back and stiffened her posture.

«G- Good evening!» she greeted stammering, «I'm sorry, I... I didn't know Rainiel had company... I hope I haven't interrupted anything...»

Jadin seemed quiet enough to see Rain - she'd certainly spent the past few weeks working in the lab. She never listened to the news and didn't know that Rain lived in Darefall before moving to Midgar, so she was unaware of her loss. She was much more shocked by the fact that she had found her with him, Sephiroth, the famous legendary SOLDIER who seemed to have gotten quite close to her friend lately.

Rain started to reply, explaining the situation to avoid sinking into embarrassment. Of course, seeing Sephiroth leave her room had led her to think that his wasn't just a simple courtesy visit.

He, however, neither denied nor confirmed any of her doubts. He simply stepped aside to allow Jadin to pass and exited as well.

«No problem. I was about to leave, anyway.» he reassured, turning one last time before disappearing into the corridor, «I'll be back to see you, Rain. For today I wish you a good evening.»

He also greeted Jadin and then left them both alone.

Rainiel closed the door and looked at her friend who was still wearing the lab coat, confused.

«Jadin, what are you doing here?» she asked. She had never received a room visit from her.

«What am _I_ doing here? And what about _him_?»

«Sephiroth? He was... keeping me some company.»

«I didn't think Zack was serious when he talked about you two! My best wishes to both of you, Rain!»

Rainiel shook her head.

«Wish-? Good heavens, Jadin, we're not a couple! Ah... let's just fly over it.» she sighed strongly, pressing a hand to her forehead. She had no desire for such discussions at the time. «So? To what do I owe the visit?»

Jadin finally showed her hands: between them she held a black diary that for some reason was not new to Rain.

«When I saw Sephiroth my blood went cold. Luckily he didn't notice anything... if he had seen this I'd have a bad time!» she breathed a sigh of relief too.

Rain raised an eyebrow.

«It's... a diary. Why should it get you in trouble?»

«It's not a simple diary!» she exclaimed, «It's something much more important! Remember a few weeks ago when you sent me that message while you were on a mission? You asked me to do more research on the Yoshua Project, but I couldn't find anything in the archives. I've been waiting for the right time to sneak in there for days! Do you have any idea how many years of life you made me lose?» she complained in her typical tone of voice that was far too calm to reflect her mood. «I thought I'd recover this anyway, as it hinted at something about the project. I know it's something that concerns you given the file we found some time ago... so I haven't been looking around too much.» she took another breath and finished: «This is Professor Hojo's diary.»

«Professor Hojo's-?!»

Rainiel almost screamed and tried to snatch the diary from her hand to read its contents.

«Shh! Do you want him to hear you even from the lab? This deal is top secret! If it turns out that I have taken it, I'd be doomed to a bad, very bad end!»

Rain had never seen Jadin so worried, so she thought about pursing her lips and just casting curious glances at the object that interested her.

«Hojo is busy with some projects assigned by Shinra for the moment, so you have a few hours to spare. By tonight, I'm asking you to take the diary back to the lab so I can put it back in its place. Understood?» the assistant explained.

Rain nodded and touched the diary. A question arose spontaneously.

Did she really want to know more? Was it really worth it? Her search had led her to nothing but trouble. What if her parents' death was due to this? Certainly was that, if she hadn't been aware of her true origins, she'd never have behaved ungratefully to them and perhaps she would've separated from them in a less tragic way and with less guilt.

That research was destroying her. Slowly, silently... but inevitably. Her dark march into the unknown that was consuming her.

She asked herself the only question of hers that had ever prompted her to make concrete decisions since she was a child.

_"What would Sephiroth do in this case?"_

She used to wonder that because she had always considered him a hero, but now she too knew the frailties in him. She knew he had a hidden side that he didn't show to anyone, like a moon high in the sky: on one side silver and bright, on the other dark and mysterious.

Yet she still asked herself that question. She thought his advice was important, and by now she was able to identify quite well with him to make choices that maybe other people would've made quickly and alone. Maybe... maybe she wasn't as strong of heart as she was with her swords.

Finally, she grabbed the diary with a firm grip.

"He would go all the way and find out the whole truth." she convinced herself, putting on a more determined expression.

«I'll bring it back to you in a few hours, it's a promise.»

«Great! And... I know I don't need to say it, but... don't show it to anyone, okay?» she sighed.

«All clear.»

Jadin could finally breathe in relief.

«Thanks, Rain. And I'm sorry if I'm so nervous. I don't exactly know what you're discovering through this research, but I can see from your changes that it means a lot to you. Try... just try not to obsess over it, okay? If it has to do with Hojo as I seem to have understood, it's probably not good.»

Rainiel lowered her eyes. What an irony, the fate.

«Oh... I know very well.»

Jadin left her alone.

Incredibly, Rain felt dizzy. She hadn't met anyone for days and days, but now that she had received those two visits she felt strange to be alone. She looked at the diary in her hands, which perhaps contained other answers, other pieces of that gigantic puzzle that needed to be rebuilt. Maybe it'd bring more pain, or maybe revenge and justice for the death of her parents. Maybe it contained nothing at all and it'd be a waste of time. How could she have known without an accurate reading?

She took a deep breath and walked over to the unmade bed.

«Let's start over. I need to know... I need to know everything. That's the only thing I have now...» she said to herself.

In fact, what else was left for her now? She had lost her home, her village, her family, and her career had been in total decline for a whole month. She was left only with the ambition to find out more about herself, about her past.

But maybe it wasn't hers that she'd find out. Not that day. Perhaps that diary contained information about another person she knew well and who, by coincidence or by fate, shared the same story with her.

A story of injustice, of innocent victims. A story of science and horror. Of pain, doubts, loneliness. They shared the torture of feeling different from everything and everyone. And the relief... of finding someone like themselves.

She sat on the edge of the bed. Her hands trembled. She had to do it. She needed it. But she was also afraid.

She gathered her courage and, without brooding further, she opened her diary.

Hojo's name appeared on the front page. It was his personal diary. A diary that'd reveal his secrets.

* * *

**Chapter 33**

**JENOVA, CALAMITY FROM THE SKIES**

Much of the information in the diary was, as Rain feared, irrelevant. Minor experiments, scientific data, just hinted discoveries...

But one title immediately caught her attention. One that she now knew very well.

" _Yoshua Project..."_

She read it with a dry throat, but she thought something was wrong. She had a hand on half of the page, so she moved it and was shocked to see that this wasn't the full title.

" _Yoshua Project and Jenova Project_."

Jenova? Where did that project come from? And why did that name sound so familiar to Rain? She thought she had heard it before, as if someone had spontaneously mentioned it.

She began to read suddenly enraptured, discovering that in fact there was much more to what she already knew. First of all, her doubts were confirmed:

The Yoshua Project was divided into two main branches. The first concerned it directly, being Project R, or to quote the full name Project Rainiel. The second was an attempt to replicate the same experiment on other subjects, and was called the R-Clone project. A series of clones had been scheduled for production, and the affected species were transcribed on a list that took up a good portion of the page. Animals of all kinds, origins and sizes, and even humans. In the diary, Hojo explained that he had not been able to create other humans entirely in the laboratory. The birth of little Rainiel had been a success dictated not only by his skills in the laboratory, but also by his luck. Project R-Clone was labeled, for all intents and purposes, a failure. The copies created were about twenty and had shown signs of immediate aggression and dangerous mutations immediately after the injection of Yoshua cells and the disproportionate quantities of mako that would've had to bear the impact of the alien DNA. A lower dosage of mako, on the other hand, led the individual on whom the experiments were conducted to reject the cells of the extraterrestrial creature, and the body thus went towards a slow and painful deterioration, with death as an inexorable consequence.

Apparently, Rainiel was the only one to have endured not only Yoshua's DNA, but also a mako injection that would destroy anyone else if wrong by just the slightest degree. Her body had endured, and it was assumed that she was now immune to disease and that her body would heal faster. Additionally, her physical and mental abilities were above average, even though the experiment aimed at creating an incredibly stronger and smarter individual than she felt she was. Not to mention the famous Cetra powers... Hojo was convinced that he had conducted an exemplary experiment and had achieved success, but he did not know that Rain, in fact, had not shown any signs of such power for about the first twenty years of her life and that, now that these abilities had manifested themselves, she was unable to control them and were even dangerous for those around her. He wanted to make her a weapon, she knew that, but a weapon that could backfire on her creator is a faulty weapon.

She ended that chapter about the Yoshua Project with a sigh. Apparently that was all there was to know... it was the projection of the idea of a mad man who wanted to play god, creating human weapons for Shinra and proving, in essence, that he was able to do anything through knowledge of science.

She thought about closing the diary, but then she saw that name again.

_Jenova_.

_The Jenova Project._

Why? Why did the memory of that name escape her? Was it really that important?

She glanced at the clock on the wall: it had taken her a little while to read and maybe she could take a little more time to explore the subject. What harm was there in snooping, now that she had even gotten used to knowing the indecencies of the Yoshua project?

The Jenova Project was unknown to her. She knew there had been a similar subject to her in the past, a human on whom similar experiments had been done, but she didn't know who or where he was now. Maybe he had fled, or died. Perhaps he was still a prisoner and awaited freedom. Maybe... he was or would become a monster.

Pushing those gloomy thoughts away with a shrug, she immersed herself in that reading as well. And she found it equally terrifying than the previous one.

_Two thousand years ago, a meteor struck Gaia and annihilated the race of the Cetra, the Ancients, who sacrificed themselves to allow the survival and proliferation of the human race. The meteor that led to the extinction of their species found in the present day by Shinra electric power company. Inside, the remains of an unidentified alien being were recovered, immediately transported to the laboratories to start the studies. The alien was called Jenova, but long ago the Ancients referred to it as the "calamity from the skies"._

Rain shivered. How could that be?! Wasn't Yoshua really the only alien being found on the planet? And why had Jenova's arrival, unlike Yoshua's, been so destructive that it even wiped out an entire species?

She read on and found out about another experiment started a few years earlier than the one that led to her birth, the Jenova Project.

This project had been led by more than one scientist and, among them, there was obviously also Hojo, at the head of one of its branches.

The diary talked about two of them: the _Jenova Project G_ and the _Jenova Project S._

Both aimed, like the Yoshua Project, at the creation of "super-humans".

_Jenova was considered an Ancient. Eventually, the project that bore that name was started, which had as its ultimate purpose the injection of the alien creature's cells into human fetuses already formed and therefore still present in the womb._

Rain felt an intense cold making her skin crawl. Had he experimented on other human children? Before they were even born? Hojo was a beast. A real monster, devoid of common sense.

_The subjects, once born, should have led to the birth of hybrid human creatures, that is, possessing the abilities of the Cetra, so that these elements led the people of Midgar and therefore Shinra to the much sought-after promised land of which legends speak for millennia. A place overflowing with mako energy._

_As would be expected from the incompetent scientist who carried it forward, Project G proved to be a total failure. Two humans were born who, however, did not prove at all to possess traces of the Cetra abilities. In order not to make the experiment completely useless, it was decided to exploit this subject as SOLDIER with extraordinary, superhuman abilities. Two of them, perhaps the best performers of that failed project, were Angeal Hewley and Genesis Raphsodos._

Rain's heart sank. She read that paragraph again, dozens of times.

_Angeal. Genesis._

The names of her previous mentors. The names... of two experiments, as she had been. Was their disappearance due to their nature as lab rats? Could Hojo be hiding behind all this? She couldn't know, but the idea terrified her.

_While Project G failed miserably as it was intended to do, the undersigned was embarking on a new, surprising experiment. One that led, as it was intended to prove... to a perfect result._

_Assisted by scientist Lucrecia Crescent, my wife, we made a decision. We would use her... and the fruit of her womb, for the sake of science, for the success of our divine project. For S._

The girl's head burned. S... That S had to represent something. If "R" stood for Rainiel and "G" presumably for Genesis... then that S...?

_The infusion of Jenova cells started from the embryonic state of the fetus. The human born of the experiment would have far surpassed the characteristics of the failed subjects of Project G. Overdeveloped physical and mental abilities, inability to get sick and degrade due to Jenova cells. The final product. The perfect creature. A future SOLDIER... better than any other, even without the abilities of the Cetra we intended to bring back to life._

_At the end of the pregnancy, the subject I was eager to examine was finally born._

_In honor of the project, I named that child Sephiroth, the son I had dedicated to my research, and took him into custody to observe at the moment of birth._

This time, the diary fell from her hand.

No, it couldn't be true.

That diary... it was fake. It had to be. It wasn't explained, otherwise, how all this could be possible.

_Jenova. That name!_

She suddenly remembered it. It was Sephiroth who had named her in one of their conversations. He had done it with a certain innocence. He said... that Jenova was his _mother_ 's name.

Did he already know everything? His nature, his origins... he was an experiment, just like her. They were both born to please the unhealthy utopia of a mad scientist with no possibility of redemption. They were born to serve Shinra, to become elite soldiers. Or at least, Sephiroth was born for it. She... she had secretly become the product of the first idea, that of generating a hybrid.

Impossible, he couldn't know! He said both of his parents were dead, and Jenova wasn't really his mother. Lucrecia Crescent was. But who was she? Rainiel had lived in that building for years, but she had never heard of any scientist bearing that name. Was she really dead? Maybe because of the birth?

The fact was that Sephiroth had no idea who his father was. How could he know? Hojo was good at keeping secrets.

And the only idea that he... that monster... was his father...

Sephiroth was Professor Hojo's son, but he hadn't bothered to raise him like a father. He hadn't even told him. For him he wasn't really a son, he was a specimen, a successful product, a pride that didn't interest him on a human level, but on a scientific level.

What was the worst reality? Having lost their parents? Never have met them? Or having been sacrificed by one's own without a simple ounce of love, becoming an experiment?

How could they do it? Hojo was a fool, he had no real conscience. But this Lucrecia Crescent... how could a mother accept that the experiments were conducted on the child growing inside her? That little creature who, once born, would've looked into her eyes, asked for her love, needed her.

And she... they... they had abandoned him.

Sephiroth was born in solitude. He knew neither love nor affection. No, the only thing he knew was the battle and that awful feeling, what you feel when you think you're out of place. Too much of all those people in the world.

Did being the son of two madmen, descendant of a ruthless alien creature who had exterminated a race, made him a monster too?

Rainiel had felt this way when she found out. And she didn't want Sephiroth to feel the same pain and disgust she felt.

Most likely she'd keep that discovery to herself.

Still shocked and out of breath, she resumed the diary.

Why? Why was there still more to read?! Wasn't that torture enough? What else had that mad scientist done? That horrible and cruel tiny man!

_Four years have passed since Sephiroth was born. The subject demonstrated a strength and intelligence that far exceeds the average of other children of his age._

_After some time, however, a fourth subject of the experiments was born, a product of the Yoshua Project R. She's called Rainiel: the girl is in perfect health but is still too young to take a real test and find out if she has inherited the skills of the Ancients or if she fit the SOLDIER elite, the division born a few years ago thanks to the Jenova Project. I have high hopes for the Rainiel product and I know my long and hard effort will soon pay off._

_This morning I wanted to do an experiment outside the box. If my reasoning is correct, and it certainly is, there is a connection between the creatures named Jenova and Yoshua, and this implies that the products of the projects are also destined to be connected from birth._

_I had two successful products: Sephiroth and Rainiel. Why not let them meet? This morning I could only imagine what the outcome of such a meeting would be. Years ago, I wouldn't have imagined that my incredible intelligence would bring such an important moment to science._

_I let Sephiroth and Rainiel's blood join, and so their cells. I wanted to know what would happen if their DNA became one._

_I couldn't believe my eyes when I found out. When I saw the materia... but it is still too early to draw conclusions. It was destroyed. Perhaps it can only be generated under certain conditions or precise periods. Other attempts will follow, but for the moment I preferred to separate the two subjects. More than anything else, I want to test the possibility of a link. Jenova's product and Yoshua's product will meet again, unaware of what awaits them or who they really are. And that's when the final act of my experiment will begin._

_They must meet at any cost! It's part of the process and could lead to something bigger._

_What matters to me is the success of the experiment._

_And I will be successful._

* * *

**Chapter 34**

**FACE-TO-FACE**

Two aliens: Jenova and Yoshua.

Four products born from the union of their cells and those of humans: Genesis, Angeal... Sephiroth and Rainiel.

The girl felt her head hammering, endless questions rose and fell in a continuous cycle of indecision and confusion.

She had hidden the diary in a simple shoulder bag and now she had to take it back to Jadin, to the laboratories. She couldn't hold it in her hand like it was nothing. She had a strange feeling and feared that the slightest distraction could cause her much trouble.

To worsen her current situation, which was not at all easy to bear, given the mourning and the long days of solitude in which she had retired until a few hours earlier, there was now the knowledge of the truth. A truth that no longer concerned only her, but also Sephiroth.

Her mentor had a terribly similar story to hers but, unlike her, she didn't know the truth about her origins. He didn't know that he was the son of two Shinra scientists, possibly both still alive, and didn't know that Jenova was actually the name of a hostile extraterrestrial creature that had caused damage to entire planets centuries ago, leading to the destruction of an entire species.

Sephiroth couldn't be like her, right? He was certainly not the most selfless and sociable person in the world, but he wasn't a monster either. He had shown her that he could be kind, understanding, and - she quickly regretted having thought it - quite sweet if necessary. A side of his personality that no one, and certainly not the media, knew.

Should she tell him the truth? She had already thought about it as she finished reading the diary. In her place, would she have wanted someone to tell her all about her origins?

Initially, when she still didn't know anything, she'd do anything to find out more. But now... now that she had practically lost everything... now that her family had died because of her, that her career was falling apart and she was about to alienate her friends... now perhaps she had changed her mind. Perhaps, if she could retrace the last months of her life step by step, she would've chosen to remain in the dark, to be happy even if unaware of reality.

She was very fond of Sephiroth. He had been her idol for most of her life, after which he had become her mentor. Now... now she even thought she could call him a friend of hers. A dear friend. He had been close to her when she needed him, without asking for anything in return. Maybe he cared about her too, at least a little, deep in his heart.

Could she really, did she really want to put such a heavy burden on his shoulders? Did she want to turn his life upside down as it had happened to her, make him wonder every day of his life why his parents never cared about him and preferred to use him as a mere lab rat rather than welcome and love him as their son?

Rainiel covered her face with her hands, locked in an elevator that was taking her to the lower floors, where she'd find Jadin's laboratories and office.

Behind her, the great glass wall gave a glimpse of the bright city of Midgar, the traveling trains, the great buildings and the crowded and bright streets.

«No.» she let out a moan, keeping her eyes closed, «I can't do it... I can't do this to _him_.»

She had made a decision. A tough and difficult decision, but she was doing it for his own good. Probably Sephiroth had never made peace with himself for having grown totally alone and he had never been able to explain why he felt so alone and different from everyone. She didn't want to give him any other worries, she didn't want him to go crazy thinking about why all this had happened to him.

«Do what?»

A shrill voice startled her.

She was so immersed in her thoughts and worries that she hadn't heard the big elevator doors open and someone enter.

She was alone until a few moments ago, but seeing who she was in front of made her shiver.

She would've preferred to meet anyone. Zack, who probably wouldn't have spared her a grooming after being ignored, Cloud who had asked for her, Vaneja who wanted to take her out into town to distract her a bit, or Sephiroth himself, the one she was thinking about and who might not be able to meet immediately.

Instead, she met the last person in the world she wanted to see right now.

Professor Hojo had his hands behind his back, a bit hunched, and a dark grin stood out under his thick black round glasses. His grimace formed great wrinkles on his face, a very bad age. He was still wearing a white coat, so maybe he was returning to work.

Rainiel couldn't help but shiver and, when she saw and recognized him, instinctively backed away, pressing her hand on the comfortable shoulder bag similar to a computer case, and almost ended up smearing against the glass of the elevator behind her.

The scientist's grin widened even more, as if that fear pleased him.

He paid no attention to the fact that she hadn't answered him, he just turned towards the doors that were closing and pressed a button among those present.

«SOLDIER second-class Rainiel, isn't it?» he asked.

The reddish-haired girl bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to dare to see the panic into which she was slowly falling.

It made sense that he knew who she was.

Despite this, she nodded slowly without opening her mouth. What interested her more than anything else was protecting the diary from his sight.

«There's been a lot of talk about you lately. You were there during the Darefall incident, your hometown...» Hojo paused on that last word, as if to see if that word aroused some kind of surprise in her, «My condolences. I learned of your loss a few days ago.»

Heart aching, Rain gritted her teeth until her lips almost bled. She hated the man, who was making fun of her by telling her about her adoptive parents, and she hated even more not being able to show any hint of anger towards him.

«Thank you.» she only said, lowering her face.

He shrugged, looking around, his hands clasped behind his back. The elevator seemed slower than ever, especially at moments when her sight lingered over Rain from head to toe, even behind those very thick black bottle-bottomed glasses.

Then, finally, they stopped at the floor Hojo had selected from the buttons and the doors began to open.

Rainiel breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't heading to the labs.

«Well, SOLDIER Rainiel Chanstor… see you soon, then. I have a feeling we'll meet again, in a short time.»

The scientist's grin grew enormously to become a deformed grimace, a string of yellowed teeth crowned the macabre work.

Rain frowned and sharpened her hearing.

As Hojo left the elevator, he muttered a few words that caught her attention.

«After all, the _Reunion_ will soon begin.»

The elevator doors closed and Rain was left alone and upset. She tried to wonder what he was babbling about, but at last she just thought he was a madman mumbling deliriously.

She let herself go against the glass wall of the cabin and to the floor, sitting up in shock as the lift resumed its course and continued to descend further and further. She was glad that Hojo hadn't noticed that she was heading to the labs, or that his diary was inside the bag she carried over her shoulder.

She held back a breakdown of nerves, feeling all the heaviness of the latest events weighing on her shoulders, and struck the ground with her fist.

She had to recover. She had to do it. Nothing had happened, thankfully, and now she had to continue.

With a head full of thoughts - the grief, the rudeness of her words a few hours earlier, the truth about Sephiroth's past and the idea that whether or not he knew about it was up to her - she decided to shake it all off, handing the diary back to Jadin and heading straight to the room soon after.

So in fact she did, sneaking up to her friend's office and knocking with arrogance and then entrusting her the entire bag, thanking her, saying goodnight and leaving without offering too many explanations, under the astonished gaze of the laboratory assistant.

When she returned to the room she had a cold shower to recover from her nervousness and worry and immediately put on clean pajamas and slipped under the covers.

Demons of all kinds prepared to attack her as she tried to fall asleep, but she tossed and turned on the mattress until she managed to fall asleep with one thought in mind: perhaps it was time to rebel against her condition, to return to show her ambition to the world. And maybe even to resume her training.


	12. Looking forward / Visions / A broken past / Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainiel wants to get over what happened in Darefall and thinks that the best way to do it is resuming her training with Sephiroth. A fight between the two of them, however, leads to an unexpected result.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains the following chapters:
> 
> • Chapter 35: Looking forward  
> • Chapter 36: Visions  
> • Chapter 37: A broken past  
> • Chapter 38: Trust

* * *

**Chapter 35**

**LOOKING FORWARD**

Rainiel had been looking at her phone screen for far too long now.

"And what if I were too annoying? I was never the one who organized this meeting..."

She heaved an anxious sigh as she thought to herself what to do.

"I don't even want to go out too much... but I'd like to make up for my temper of the other night. So? Am I sending this to him or not?"

A hand quicker than her reflexes snatched the cell phone from her hands as she realized what had happened.

Rainiel angrily turned to Zack, who sat cross-legged at her kitchen table. It was the first time she had seen him since some days, but he hadn't gotten angry at all and had rushed in when she had apologized for avoiding him and invited him to spend a few hours with her in the afternoon.

«Zack! Give it back!» she ordered trying to catch the phone again, but proving too slow, because the boy blocked her wrist and moved the device away, starting to read aloud what was written on the display, a screen of a messaging application.

« _Good morning Sephiroth, I'm Rain, I hope not to disturb you. I know I didn't behave in the best way during our last meeting despite your kindness, so I'd like to apologize and get forgiven in some way. Maybe resuming my training with you where we left off? I hope you agree, I am waiting for your reply. See you soon_.»

The total loss of the girl's dignity was seasoned by the annoying little voice that Zack used to read the message, as if he were a girl with too swollen lips.

Rain gave him a pinch and gave up the challenge, sighing and placing her hands on her elbows.

«Last meeting? Did I miss something?» he then asked, raising and lowering his eyebrows.

«Nevermind.» she snorted. She'd tell him the salient details in due course, certainly without revealing the origins of her mentor, but now she didn't want to get lost in long conversations. «You can also delete the message, I've changed my mind. He should be commanding me to join him at the simulator for training, not me asking him as if I wanted to go to dinner with him. However, it'll be better to stay in my room, since I got rusty in the fight...»

Zack cleared his throat and, when Rain looked at him curiously, she managed to catch the exact moment he hit the send button.

Jumping to her feet, she screamed.

«Zack!»

«No no no, no "Zack"!»

He moved his index finger in front of her eyes left and right.

«You've been locked in your room for... how long? Weeks? You need to get out and get distracted, or you'll never get through this. What's better than an intense workout to release the nerves?»

«A glass of wine filled to the brim and a ten hour sleep.»

«You're totally crazy.»

As the two argued, the phone vibrated.

Again, Rain let out a small scream.

«Oh God! Did he answer?»

Zack raised a hand to ask her to wait while he looked at the screen and, shortly after, he nodded in agreement.

«Let me see!» then she exclaimed in panic, grabbing her cell phone.

Zack leaned on the table with his elbows to peek but failed.

«Our friend, however, is pretty quick. So? What did he say?» he asked curiously.

Rain had the display practically glued to her face and soon started reading.

« _Good morning to you, Rain. I think it's best to discuss our meeting privately. I'll wait for you this afternoon at the simulator at 3 PM_.» she recited almost stammering.

«See?» Zack shrugged, «He accepted.»

«I told you to delete the message!»

«Oh, come on... do you really want to tell me that you mind spending some time with him?»

Rainiel gave him a grim look, but didn't dare say otherwise.

He showed a grin.

«You don't need to answer, I read your mind. Now go get ready, let's have lunch together before training!»

So, in fact, it happened. After a lunch with Cloud and Vaneja, who, having learned of her loss, tried to be as close to her as possible, Rainiel returned to her room to put on the SOLDIER armor.

She looked in the mirror glancing at the shoulder strap on her left shoulder and the plate on the abdomen, sighing.

It had been a short time, but the others were right: she had to go on with her life. Not a second went by when she didn't grieve over the death of her parents or feel guilty about it, but endless brooding would never do her good.

She shrugged her worries off and forced herself to leave the room, quickly reaching the simulator.

When she entered it, he found the General of SOLDIER already inside, as always perfectly in advance.

Rainiel toyed with the hilt of one of her Aikuchi as she approached him and cleared her voice, although she already knew that Sephiroth had noticed her presence.

«Am I late?» she asked, with a touch of irony, just to start a discussion. She wanted to talk to him before starting training.

«No. You're on time.»

Sephiroth stopped turning his back to her and watched her from above one of the shoulders, turning as little as necessary. He already had the Masamune in his left hand and a touch of satisfaction could be seen on his face. Maybe he was happy that training with his pupil had started again.

«Great. Lately I've lost track of time a bit, so... well, yes, I...»

Rain rocked on tiptoe and felt stupid. What was she, a little girl? Why was she talking and acting like that? Was it possible that she felt so guilty about a sentence she pronounced by mistake? What worried her most, however, was the fact that perhaps it wasn't the sentence itself that worried her, but the person she had addressed it to. For some reason, she cared a lot about Sephiroth and absolutely didn't want to appear rude to him.

«A few days have passed since our meeting. Have you recovered at least a little, Rain?»

The clear eyes of the legendary warrior fell on her silhouette, from head to toe and back, which made Rainiel feel quite open and in awe, albeit not in a bad way. Somehow, his gaze was somewhat magnetic, and his gentle manners, rare but very important small gestures, as well as his concern for her, had their charm.

«Oh! I've started eating healthy again and I'm making up for more suitable sleep schedules. I thought about what you said to me and... yes, I guess the best thing to do for now is to carry on. And I need to be distracted.»

She cursed herself for quoting Zack's words, but contented herself with the knowledge that her friend would never hear what she said.

«I agree. This is why we're here. Your training must resume.»

Sephiroth faced her directly and started walking in her direction, briskly, as if he wanted to start that fight sooner.

«Quite right! But... before we begin... I'd like to talk to you. To... you know, to apolog-»

No way. Her tongue was completely entangled. When had it become so difficult to talk to him?

It mattered little, because it was he himself who put an end to her blathering attempts.

Forefinger and thumb of the man rested under the chin of the girl who, hearing that contact, thought she had changed color up to the tips of her ears, if not those of her feet.

She had looked away as she tried to talk to him, and now he was lifting her face so that their gazes matched. He evidently couldn't bear that there was no direct eye contact during discussions with other people.

«We'll talk about that after the training.» he pronounced, imperturbable, giving a quick peek at her dark circles which, he noticed, were slowly disappearing.

Rain swallowed quickly, paralyzed and totally obscured by him, whom she continued to consider exaggeratedly tall for someone his age.

«O- Okay, as you said.» she managed to exclaim then, feigning a cough and backing away with the excuse that she was looking for space to prepare for the fight.

She drew her short swords and twisted them between her fingers before locking them and taking a position ready for the offensive.

So did Sephiroth who, with a small grin, raised the great katana over his head and grabbed it with both hands, although he was able to fight and whirl it perfectly with just one of them, whatever it was.

The simulator had already been set up, so it quickly transformed into an environment suitable for confrontation: the two found themselves on a large bare lawn that allowed them to admire distant mountains and a large lake.

Now... all that remained was to win the fight.

* * *

**Chapter 36**

**VISIONS**

Every second was like an eternity, while the two challengers looked at each other waiting for one of the two to take the first step. A light breeze stirred their hair and the blades of grass created by the simulator, generating the only audible noise inside that ultra-technological dome, a hissing rustle.

The fight began when Sephiroth's hands snapped, tilting the Masamune so that the blade was pointing straight in front of him and, turning slightly to the side, the SOLDIER charged in.

Rainiel's eyes watched a rock not far away. She dodged the mentor's lunge with a side somersault and started running towards it, sure to be chased, then using it as a launch pad to leap into the air. In flight, she parried an attack aimed at her back and pushed the Masamune aside to ensure a safe landing. When she did, she snapped back.

"So I still remember how it's done!" she thought with a sly grin, before finding the tip of the long katana a few inches from her throat. Luckily she saw it in time and thwarted its path with both of her Aikuchi, moving it to the side and sliding towards the enemy to hit him with a kick.

Sephiroth let go of the hilt of the weapon, which he grabbed with his free right hand, and used his other forearm to defend against her blow and then his fingers to squeeze her ankle. Had he succeeded in his intent, he would've unbalanced the warrior in such a way as to make her fall.

In fact, after yanking her, he tried to push her away, but she used her move as a spring to roll in midair and land on top of the rock, spreading her arms like wings and loading the force into the swords she now considered extensions of her own body. While he was trying to attack her, she made sure he missed her and immediately afterwards she rotated like a vortex of steel in his direction, distracting him.

Sephiroth narrowly escaped the attack and Rain could swear she heard an amused fake cough, like a proud and surprised laugh, before feeling his right hand grab her wrist and twist it with such force that it didn't really hurt, but calculated enough to let her drop an Aikuchi. Then Sephiroth pushed the short sword into the air with one foot and grabbed it, throwing it at her like a bullet.

“Using my own weapon against me? Smart! But not enough..."

Rainiel quickly dodged and tried to catch the Aikuchi as it darted past her, only realizing that trap later. The tip of the Masamune touched her shoulder and dug into her skin, without causing excessive damage, also because Sephiroth wasn't really aiming to hurt her and she walked away as soon as she noticed the burning on the affected area.

The mentor was in front of her, he had reached her by throwing himself forward, so she ducked and silently passed under his raised arm, turning to attack.

Sephiroth's hand caught her wrist.

«Do you want to hit me in the back, Rain?» he scolded her, albeit in a tone that seemed joking more than disappointed. In fact, Rainiel's choice wasn't very fair, but if it had been a real fight he wouldn't have spared any blows.

The General pulled her to him, probably just to scare her, because he didn't attack her.

Rain felt a cold rush down her back and pursed her lips. She was awfully close to him, practically pressed against the straps that covered his abdomen and hips.

The haughty mentor looked at her from above, obviously amused.

"Of course! He wants to distract me…" she reasoned, trying to free herself.

At the same instant, Sephiroth voluntarily pushed her away, which caused the girl to lose her balance.

As she plummeted to the ground, Rain realized she couldn't help but turn her fall into a reverse somersault, so she used the momentum to get up. As she pushed on her calves to get back on her feet, however, she found the Masamune a whisker from her nose and, not knowing how else to defend herself, he whirled the last remaining Aikuchi quite roughly, whipping the air... and hitting the enemy's knuckles.

This almost made him drop the katana, so Rain thought of moving away to prevent the blade from falling on her and seriously injuring her, but in doing so she hindered the idea of the superior, who pushed the weapon away to prevent it from hurting her. The health of his pupil took priority over a simple victory during training.

The girl's foot swept off his legs as he was busy defending both of them, so they both tumbled to the ground and rolled down a very short descent due to the sloping lawn generated for the training session.

Rain felt the cold grass rub against her skin and, when she reopened her eyes after squeezing them to prevent a few strands from ending up between her lashes, she blanched and finally blushed in a sequence that made no sense at all.

Sephiroth was lying down raised on the elbows only, one hand on the head to brush off the dust from the hair and the other adhering to the ground.

And Rainiel… _practically on him_. Her chin hit his torso as she fell and she didn't know who it hurt the most, but the pain played a marginal role in that scene that petrified her. Her legs were joined, positioned in the middle of those of the young man, who had not only cushioned the fall, but also found her lying on him.

When he too opened his eyes, the two looked at each other for a while and Rain noticed that his expression hadn't changed at all, but his water-colored eyes traveled along the view, noticing what had happened. His body didn't tense for a single second.

«... I guess it's a tie.» he announced quietly as she felt her blood chill in her veins and couldn't move or speak.

Shortly after, the General's gaze dropped to the girl's body and her eyebrows creased slightly.

«Rain?»

The girl started.

«Y- y... Yeah?»

«I hurt you.»

Sephiroth's hand reached out to her, and she realized that she was still comfortably resting on her legs in a position that wasn't professional at all. When she felt small shivers go up her body, she threw backwards, escaping his touch and sitting down on the lawn.

By now her face had become a canvas painted only a deep red and the uniform stuck to her skin. She wondered when inside the simulator it started being so hot, before elaborating his sentence and speaking, covering her shoulder.

«Oh… it's nothing! Just a scratch. I've endured worse.»

Just below the bone but still above the collarbone, a shallow cut bled and stained the uniform shirt, but the flow would've stopped shortly after anyway.

Sephiroth also composed himself and stood up, only lowering himself when he reached her again and brushing her hair behind her back and his hand off her shoulder.

«Let me check anyway.»

He knew that Rain tended to lessen the pain, and that the Masamune - now fallen somewhere on the lawn - was very sharp. He had paid attention during training but feared he had exaggerated, so he spread the tear on the fabric and brought his fingers close to her wound.

Only then did Rain notice a much more serious cut on his hand dripping rapidly, the same one he had caused him earlier. And when one of the drops of his blood went to wet her shirt, where hers had already thickened, a flash crossed the eyes of both, which opened wide in surprise.

_It was as if the world had immediately turned white, a solar flash strong enough to blind them both._

_Rainiel saw a scene, another of her visions but, this time, she knew he was observing the same thing that happened before Sephiroth's eyes._

_The laboratory, gray and dark. Two small figures. One silent, the other in tears._

_A light-haired child keeps his eyes cast down on a helpless little creature in his arms, a baby girl wrapped in a pink blanket. Not far away, a faint beam of red light causes the child to look elsewhere, to hold the little one closer to him._

_It was the same scene as always: those two children, both very small, and that very familiar place. This time, Rain prayed not to forget their faces._

There was no need, though, because when she came back to reality she found that face right in front of her, not far away, as he backed away dazed.

Sephiroth was on his knees, confused, one hand pressed to his right temple and the other to support him, on the leg. He had immediately shifted and now his eyes were wider than usual, shocked. Never had Rain seen him so vulnerable in his life.

«Sephiroth! Are you okay?» she asked worriedly, reaching for him and touching his arms to help him get up.

He was still confused. He whispered something under his breath.

«Why that scene...?» caught his breath and said softly, talking to himself, «Why did I see… _myself_ , as a _child_?»

Rainiel found enormous meaning in what someone else would've called a chatter of a fleeting moment of delirium.

Immediately, many things started to make sense.

* * *

**Chapter 37**

**A BROKEN PAST**

_A memory_.

What she had seen wasn't a vision. It was a memory. Her first meeting… with Sephiroth.

She hadn't met the idol of her childhood for the first time after passing the tests to be welcomed into the ranks of SOLDIER, but more than twenty years earlier, shortly after her birth.

That silver-haired child was Sephiroth, and the baby in his arms… that was her. She was Rainiel.

Her jaw dropped dangling from the sudden discovery. She kept learning more and more about her past and now she had unlocked a memory preserved by pure miracle.

A small red glow caught her attention as Sephiroth continued to keep his head bowed in the direction of the lawn. Out of the corner of her eye, Rain noticed the light and checked where it came from.

A blood-red sphere rested between blades of low grass and attracted the girl to it, who narrowed her eyes in wonder.

"Is that a materia?" she wondered, since it reminded her a lot of one of those summons that she had sometimes seen used in battle by other SOLDIERs more experienced than her, although this was darker and more curious.

She tried to take it, attracted like a moth to the flame, but saw it crumble without hope a second before she could touch it. Small pieces of light rained down on the grass and vanished like showerhead petals in the breeze.

Sephiroth emitted a very short moan, regaining control of his own mind and body and attracting the attention of the student to himself again, who tried to support him by holding him by his arms or shoulders.

«Sephiroth!» she called again, worried.

«I'm fine.» he spread his hands, pulling hers away, proving he could handle himself. He hardly abandoned his proud and somewhat arrogant facade.

Rain continued to watch him, worried, as he got up. She mimicked him and noticed the simulator returning to its original stage, soon forgetting the sphere of light from just before, perhaps thinking that she had only imagined it because of the vision.

«I think our training can end here for today. Congratulations, Rain, you're still in excellent shape.» he said before coughing and shaking his head.

«Sephiroth… something wrong? You don't seem to be well.» she asked, worried, but without daring to approach again. She knew her mentor disliked feeling weak and in need of care.

«Just a little tired. I'm afraid I haven't slept enough tonight. I'll be fine.» he shrugged off the truth without hesitation, and Rain dared not tell him about the vision.

«You should go and rest, then.» she tried to suggest, stiffening in place.

«Yes... I guess that's the best thing I can do.» he sighed, turning his back quickly to look for his Masamune. He found it on the ground a few meters away and recovered it.

Rain touched his arm hesitantly.

«Are you really sure everything is okay? Is there anything I can do?»

«Yes. You can stop worrying, it's not needed at all. As I said, I'll recover.» he answered, trying to reach the door. But he stopped a few meters from her, before leaving.

«I'm sorry, Rain. Normally I wouldn't stop our training like this, but I really think it's better to continue later.» he explained, apparently calm but clearly agitated.

She shook her head.

«Don't worry. I understand perfectly. So... to the next lesson, I guess.»

Sephiroth nodded and started to leave, but stopped shortly after.

«One last thing.» he said then, a raised index finger.

The girl pricked up her ears.

«I didn't tell you the last time we met, but it's better that you don't tell anyone about your true origins.» he explained calmly. Evidently the vision had led him to rethink their conversation a few days ago. «I've lived here since I was a child and know Shinra all too well. If one of the scientists could get their hands on you… Hojo, for example…» he hinted, causing Rain not a few chills, «… it'd be rather unpleasant. I'd prefer to avoid such a thing from happening, so you have to be careful and trust the people around you as little as possible. Understood?»

Rain tried to think about what would happen in that case, but the only positive note in that sea of horrid hypotheses was the idea that perhaps Sephiroth would be able to save her. But it was only a vague possibility… very faint, moreover.

«Yup. I'll be careful.» she promised, knowing that she had told everything about herself only and exclusively to him and Zack, the people she trusted the most. She'd have liked to tell Cloud too, since she considered him a very serious and dutiful person, but she didn't want to pester him with her problems, he was still very young and busy making his way to become a SOLDIER. Vaneja had a penchant for gossip and this made it a bad idea to tell her the truth, while Jadin was still a mystery to Rainiel at times. She only knew that for Cloud she'd do or say anything, which made the situation dangerous.

Sephiroth was pleased with her answer and forced a smile.

«Good girl.» he murmured, as if he were rewarding a little child. «Now go and take care of that wound.»

Rainiel didn't take it as an offense, it was rare to receive a compliment from him and she knew he was trying to be nice to her.

So as the General exited the simulator to return to his room, she felt inflamed from head to toe. It was impossible to deny that for a few weeks now, Sephiroth's behavior towards her made her feel less alone and, in fact... pretty good. Something kept drawing her to him and this, in a way, frightened her, especially because she didn't want to get too distracted by what was happening.

Shinra had secrets, it was impossible to deny it, and Rain was starting to respect a little less the organization she had loved for years, as a young girl. There was a reason Sephiroth was putting a guard on her. Evidently other troubles awaited on the horizon, troubles that she would've to face head on.

For the moment, however, she just had to think about recovering and freeing her mind to go back to giving her all.

While she marveled at herself, she figured she already knew where to start.

* * *

**Chapter 38**

**TRUST**

A sudden message surprised Rain as she came out of the shower wearing a bathrobe, so the girl reached the sink next to which she had placed the phone and, while massaging her wet hair through a clean towel with one hand, with the other she lifted the mobile phone. Apparently, Zack wanted to meet her.

_"I just got back from sector 5 slums, I'll be here tonight. How about going for a drink together after dinner? Actually, the_ _only possible answer is yes. See you later!"_

Rain shook her head and sighed before answering and accepting. She knew that there was no malice in her best friend's intentions, who by the way, as far as she understood, already had a girl he visited from time to time. She must have been a slum dweller, one who often gave him flowers. Sometimes Zack would come back with little lilies or daffodils behind his ears or hanging from the straps of his uniform, as well as with big smiles of a boy who was completely in love. Rainiel envied him very much, he always seemed very carefree despite everything he had gone through in the past years, while she was always creating new problems.

In any case, she knew that Zack was doing everything for her and to help her get through that difficult time, so she'd never be able to turn down his offer.

After dinner she put on more beautiful and tight-fitting clothes than she was used to, along with a long black pantyhose, and she decided to go out and join her friend.

Zack had taken a table for both of them at a cozy bar not too far from the Shinra Tower. He told Rain about the place and time to meet and the SOLDIER girl met him on time, feeling a little uncomfortable leaving the skyscraper after so long.

She greeted him with a hug, they sat quietly and sipped a drink in peace, talking about more or less.

«So? Are you feeling better lately?» the black-haired boy asked shortly as he softly clapped his hand on the table to the rhythm of the music.

«Let's say I am. I hate to admit it but you were right, the training managed to distract me.»

«The training... or Sephiroth?»

A smirk came to his face.

Rainiel sighed.

«Still with this story? When will you stop making fun of me?»

«Let me think about it... never! So? What did you two talk about?»

«Well, huh... nothing...»

Zack's forefinger pointed straight at her.

«Liar. So? What happened? He seemed interested in talking to you privately.»

Rainiel sighed. Actually they had spoken very little, and she hadn't even been able to apologize as she wished. That discussion had been postponed until who knows when. But, in fact, there was a topic that had come up that afternoon during their discussion...

«I could tell you. Maybe. But first, I have a question for you.»

«I'm all ears.»

«Did you… did you tell anyone what really happened in Darefall?»

Rain looked down at her drink and her reflection on the surface, trying to ward off the nefarious memories of that trip.

Zack shook his head.

«If I did, I could cause trouble. I thought it'd be better to avoid talking about it, or people would be interested in how what happened actually happened.»

Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief.

«You don't even know how pleased I am to hear you say that. Not that I had any doubts, but I needed to ask you.»

«Relax, Rain, I get it. It was a terrible blow, it's normal that you're worried. Don't think this offends me.» he explained calmly, and drank shortly after.

«You see… what happened is closely related to my past, of course. I always discover something new and I feel the need to investigate, to talk about it with someone.» Rain then said, «And... I told Sephiroth everything too. Well, almost everything...»

Her mind went back to what she had learned from reading Hojo's diary. The fact that he was his father, the mystery surrounding the figure of his mother, the alien creature called Jenova and the origins of Sephiroth, so similar to her. Sooner or later she'd tell him the truth, she told herself, but not for the moment. She wanted him to know from her, but she wasn't ready to upset his existence in such a way.

«Are you serious? Then you really do trust him so much!»

Zack was somewhat surprised, but not entirely.

«I do. I trust him. Today he asked me not to put too much trust in those around me, but you and him are an exception. I know I can tell you everything.»

A somewhat risky sentence, yet heartfelt: she really thought what she had just said. Zack had been her best friend for years now, while Sephiroth...

Well, she didn't really understand yet what Sephiroth actually meant to her. She'd normally have replied that she was none other than his student, that there was a professional relationship between them, but she began to have serious doubts about the fact that their story could be reduced to that. He... was different, and so was she, but she felt incredibly similar to that young man who kept pinning his hopes on her. Why he did it, however, remained a mystery to her.

The conversation continued without really moving on to other topics and Rain decided to tell him too, obviously omitting the origin story of the General of SOLDIER, to Zack. She explained to him about the diary, the side projects Jenova and Yoshua, and the reality about the R-Clones they had faced in the slums, in the forest and in Darefall. Those creatures were still on the loose and had to be stopped at all costs, as they were too aggressive to be tamed.

Zack listened intently, pursing his lips and nodding or asking questions when a certain passage in that twisted story didn't seem clear enough, and then letting it continue.

When he had the full picture, at least of what he was given to know, Rain breathed a sigh of relief.

«And that's it.»

She looked around just as she had before starting that conversation and could only relax when she came to the conclusion that no one had overheard the discussion.

«Zack... I know I don't even need to ask you, but...»

«But you want me to promise you it'll remain a secret between us.»

«As I said, the only ones who know everything besides me are you and Sephiroth. If someone else finds out, we could all get in trouble.»

Zack nodded, putting his playful and lighthearted ways aside for a moment.

«Rain, you don't have to justify yourself. You know I understand you. In fact, if I were you I don't know if I'd be able to endure as much by remaining calm as you are right now. You have my total admiration.»

His arm lifted and his hand fell lightly on the girl's head, ruffling her hair. To him, Rainiel was practically like a sister. He could never be offended by her.

She let him do it, sporting a sad little smile.

«I'm not really as calm as it looks. To tell the truth, I still feel very agitated and incredulous. I have to recover slowly... carry out this research of mine. I'm in it now.»

« _We're in it_ , Rain.» he corrected her, «I'll always support you, even when you cause some trouble. And then I'll help you solve any problem. You know this, right?»

Rainiel felt her eyes tingle and lowered her face, this time really smiling. A small void in her heart quickly filled.

«Yes... I do. And I couldn't be more grateful to you for that. Thank you very much.»

«You don't have to thank me, y'know! For me, helping you is just a pleasure. I don't like seeing you sad. And I'm sure it's the same for many other people too.»

Rainiel thought carefully who he was referring to. Cloud, Vaneja, Jadin... even Sephiroth. All of them, in their own way, loved her. And this realization made her feel a little better.

«Now put that long face away. Do you hear this song?» Zack asked enthusiastically.

A small bar area was large and empty enough for a small group of people to dance to rousing music from various speakers hanging on the walls.

Rainiel let out a laugh.

«Do you want to challenge me to a dance competition like you did a few years ago?»

«Look at you... now you also read my mind? Or are you just worried that I might win this time?»

«You know what? I really think I'll show you who's the best at this kind of thing. Ready for a resounding defeat?»

Zack crossed his arms and pretended to be offended, but then a huge smile tinged his face.

«That's my favorite Rain! Tough, determined, a real fire. C'mon, let's go! Let's see if you're really the best!» he exclaimed before dragging her away to the small makeshift dance floor.

Rainiel had a wonderful evening, glad to have spent that time with someone she completely trusted, and to finally feel a little lighter. Many difficulties were upon them, but for this very reason she needed some healthy relax.

* * *


	13. Path of redemption / Sparkles of hesitance / Butterflies in the stomach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After what happens during the last training with Sephiroth, Rainiel starts to think she has feelings for him and decides to talk about it with a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains the following chapters:
> 
> • Chapter 39: Path of redemption  
> • Chapter 40: Sparkles of hesitance  
> • Chapter 41: Butterflies in the stomach

* * *

**Chapter 39**

**PATH OF REDEMPTION**

As the weeks went by, Rain began to feel better and better. Zack and the others often invited her to go out or join them, perhaps for a ride around town or a workout at the gym. Her entire group of friends rallied to prevent her from feeling lonely and even Jadin, though terribly busy in the lab, soon learned of her loss and apologized for not saying anything the first time she saw her after the day her return from Darefall.

Even Cloud, the most shy and reserved of the group, tried in every way to make her feel comfortable and distract her. Sometimes she even decided to train with him and teach him a few tricks but she was soon stunned by the truth: the young warrior was already incredibly strong, too strong to be a simple infantryman. Rainiel suggested that he take the exams to join SOLDIER, since that was also his dream, but Cloud still seemed a little reluctant.

Speaking of training, then, hers were booming. She had resumed training with Sephiroth every afternoon: the General was certainly a somewhat busy man but, who knows how, he always managed to find some space between his commitments to reach Rain in the simulator. Several times he had also visited her in her room, although this happened much more rarely, and once they had even returned to the Ace of Spades together. It wasn't a meeting with a purpose other than a normal chat between colleagues, and there Sephiroth revealed for the first time that he was interested in recommending her for the first class of SOLDIER.

On the one hand, Rainiel wanted to jump for joy, but on the other her enthusiasm was dampened by the knowledge of what really happened because of Shinra, of all those experiments and tortures. Was it really worth continuing to be a SOLDIER? Probably yes, because Rainiel had nothing left but that job since she had lost her home and family, and she had no intention of returning to Darefall anyway, at least not any time soon. She then made a decision: she'd continue to be part of that division until she defeated all the remaining R-Copies, after which she'd evaluate the situation and finally choose what to do with her life. For now, she didn't mind strengthening and keeping fit.

More importantly, she realized she was starting to control her strange and unique power a little better. She wasn't a Cetra, but it was undeniable that she had a strong connection to nature, thanks to Yoshua's DNA that had given her life. She felt a strange energy flow through her and this frightened her, but Sephiroth taught her to also control her mind in such a way as not to fall prey to panic attacks like the one that had ended the battle against the mako monster on Darefall's mountain. By doing so, one day, she managed to make a flower blossom that was now about to wither, or to make water from a pond gush in the slums. A branch one day reached towards her as she concentrated and a leaf grew on its tip. They were small trials, tiny steps, of a great and important journey that meant a lot to her. The only way she had to redeem herself from her sins, she thought, was to use her gift for good purposes and not for being selfish.

And this idea, day after day, rekindled the most important flame that burned inside her soul, lately a bit too weak: hope. Rainiel was on the path to healthy spiritual and emotional healing.

The training played a crucial role in all of this. She was putting her heart and soul into it and, one day, it was time again to challenge an enemy in the simulator. Sephiroth had prepared an arduous challenge for her, similar to the one she had faced shortly before being accepted into SOLDIER and entrusted to Genesis as her pupil, albeit for a very short time.

She had already started a few minutes ago but she was already covered in sweat and out of breath, hunched over. The shoulder strap had fallen off somewhere and large scratches covered her arms, but they didn't worry her, they'd soon heal after all.

A huge war machine with mechanical arms equipped with rotating blades was right in front of her, moving menacingly in her direction. The enemy seemed the fruit of the terrified fantasy of a child, also endowed with large orange eyes, or rather scanners, which took care of locating her at each new move. Finding a blind spot had been almost impossible, but she was slowly making progress.

She had stabbed it in the bare side, a joint between the blade and the robotic arm, unprotected by the metal coating and where there were therefore nothing but large, very vulnerable wires.

From one of them now a dense white vaporous cloud was emerging and the blade was spinning slower and slower.

Rainiel smiled to see that its movements were much more inaccurate, because she had also damaged one of the scanners on its gray face.

«Bring it on!» she screamed to charge herself, waiting for the enemy's track wheels to make it crawl quickly in her direction, but as soon as it was close enough she leaped on the damaged arm with a feline-like action, scrambling quickly onto its shoulder and then grabbing its neck. The machine began to spin dangerously and the oil spread on the ground, coming from inside, caused it to skid in part due to the perfectly smooth terrain of the battlefield.

All that remained was to completely disable the scanners so that the robot activated its emergency mode and became much less accurate even if more destructive. Rainiel had a plan in mind to end that battle.

Due to a quick movement from the opponent, she nearly fell and crashed to the ground, holding on to one arm but wincing as she lost her grip on the hilt of one of the Aikuchi. Fortunately, she managed to send it back up with a blow of her foot and catch it again, taking advantage of the moment to drive it straight into the back of the metal monster's neck. Sparks flew into the air over her head, but she shielded herself with her arm and sprinted to the top of that mass of artillery and brutality. She crouched to prevent the speed assumed by the machine from throwing her away as if on one of those mechanical bulls that were occasionally found in bars, then leaned out the minimum necessary to allow her to reach the enemy's eye with the tip of a sword, and she pierced it with a power she didn't even know she possessed.

More sparks brushed the tips of her hair, which fell over her shoulders and torn tank top now that she had even lost the elastic that at the start of training kept it high in a ponytail.

She wasted no more time and immediately hit the other scanner, shattering it. Suddenly the simulator lit up with a dangerous flashing red light, a sign that the emergency mode had been activated. The blades re-entered the robot arm, from which instead two small thermal viewfinder turrets emerged.

It wasn't difficult for them to find the opponent, who stood out in the middle of that cold room. For this Rainiel unleashed a last grin and brought the blade she had not yet used to the sparks that shot from the damaged scanners.

With great courage, she let the tip, soaked in the same oil as the machine, rub on the metal that she could see between the steam. Tongues of fire were born between her fingers and reached the scanners traveling on the smooth steel, all thanks to a Fire materia. A flame nearly burned the tip of her nose.

It was warm enough to attract the attention of the turrets. With a leap, Rain took cover behind the robot's battered head and waited for the final show: the turrets riddled with shots the same body they came from. Fortunately the robot stopped before it could explode and so, when the metal carcass hit the ground, Rainiel towered over the stomach of the defeated enemy and wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

She had succeeded. She had passed this test too. And she was very, very happy.

* * *

**Chapter 40**

**SPARKLES OF HESITANCE**

The simulator lights returned to a more normal and less insistent color. Soon the robot would vanish to clear the room.

To break the noise caused by Rainiel's panting, there was the sound of two hands clapping together expressing pure satisfaction.

The girl raised her clear eyes at the entrance to the simulator and forced a smile in the effort, thinking she had to get off the fallen body of the just defeated robot.

Sephiroth quietly approached the center of the simulator where she was standing, finishing applauding within a few seconds.

«Did I do well?» the SOLDIER girl asked, sheathing the Aikuchi back into their sheaths and wiping with the quick swipe of her thumb a drop of blood that had just landed on her lip from a small wound on her forehead.

«I'll reply by telling you that no second-class SOLDIER had ever defeated this enemy before.» he announced. His voice remained somewhat dull and flat, but it was easy to notice a subtle note of pride deep in it and in his cold gaze.

Rainiel smiled and wondered how long it had taken him years ago to overcome that challenge. It had probably been child's play.

«I hope I'm at the same level as the mako monsters we've faced out there by now.» she later commented, pulling herself together and straightening her back. She was quite tired, she certainly couldn't deny it.

«The only way we have to find out is to wait for the presence of one of them to be reported, as in the past. Although I admit to being optimistic about your abilities.» he answered, before putting his hands on his hips and observing his pupil.

His expression changed slightly, becoming less cheerful. He probably didn't like looking down up at people.

«Do you want to stay up there all day?» he asked indeed.

«Oh, certainly not. I really need a warm shower and a great dinner now.» she commented with a laugh.

Sephiroth held out an arm in her direction. He knew that Rainiel didn't need help getting off, a jump and the right caution would be enough, but his was meant to be a polite gesture.

“From him? When will I get another chance like this?" Rain said to herself, who, happy to accept, leaned forward to reach a lower point and grab his hand.

When she was about to reach it, however, she got distracted and placed her foot badly in a large puddle of oil from the war machine, which has now become mere wreckage.

Before she could even know it, she slid into the dark puddle and nearly hit the ground. Instinctively she looked for something to hold on to to avoid losing her balance altogether and so, instead of grabbing the mentor's hand, hers went to tighten around the leather straps that covered his chest, with the only result of pulling his torso forward.

At the same time, Sephiroth had his reflexes quick enough to try and keep her from crashing to the ground, but not being able to do much else, he surrounded her side with his free arm. In short, the two ended up crushing against each other.

Rainiel managed to avoid falling and thought to apologize for her stupidity - had she just defeated a war machine worthy of a first-class and then tripped over some puddle of oil? She wondered if it was simply a cruel joke from the General, unlikely as it was.

Before she could open her mouth, however, she realized the situation and found herself with her eyes an inch from Sephiroth's face, which had frowned.

The girl probably changed color from her toes to her ears, cursing herself for being so careless, but instead of moving she petrified.

The two large silver tufts that framed the young soldier's seraphic face grazed her collarbones, since he was mostly curved over her, while his hand pressed on her back with the intent of preventing her from slipping again.

«Are you okay?» he asked her without a single trace of concern in his voice.

But how could he remain impassive in any situation? It was almost frustrating, as Rain instead felt herself on fire every time the distances between them narrowed more than expected.

Receiving that question, though, before he even pulled away - and more importantly, why wasn't he backing away yet? - could only please her. More than anything, it caused a little tingle down her spine. The man's gloved fingers were in direct contact with the girl's skin where the shirt worn for training had torn due to the blows suffered.

«Y... Y-Y-Yes...» she stammered on a fury in response, almost having to remember how to actually speak. «I'm sorry... I slipped and...»

Her heart sank a moment later, noticing that the young General's clear and partly half-closed eyes dropped the contact with hers to move further down her face, probably on her parted lips. It was a moment, before Sephiroth directed his attention back to the pupil's blue irises, but it was enough to cause a hot shiver in Rain, that felt her head and abdomen in turmoil.

«It doesn't matter.» he just said, even if he made no sign of retreating.

On the contrary, Rainiel felt the grip of his hand against her lower back getting a bit firmer, just like hers on the straps in front of his back, which Rain didn't even notice.

She too lingered for a second, her heart beating madly, and observed the details of his face without finding a single flaw.

What was that simple contact doing to her? Until a few moments before, she was focused on finishing the workout, and now she slowly lowered her lashes expecting something.

Seeing her reaction, Sephiroth's cheekbones lifted slightly. Was he hesitating too? Or maybe Rainiel's was just an impression? Was it the product of her imagination, his face getting closer and their bodies adhering a little more rather than breaking up?

The simulator made a sound that made her jump out of the blue. The robot dematerialized slowly and not in religious silence, certainly. The flames burning on its head cleared quickly but that brief moment was enough to catch Rainiel off guard, who had completely forgotten the defeated enemy behind her.

The girl, in fact, jumped to one side, turning her back to Sephiroth and letting him go, while he pursed his lips and eyebrows and straightened his back.

When she realized what had happened, Rainiel was sorry but chose not to say anything. Probably the General had also decided that it'd be better to ignore it, as if that scene a few moments before had never happened.

«Congratulations on the challenge, Rain.» he then said, breaking the awkward silence created, «Let's finish here for today. Go and rest.» he allowed her generously.

Rain nodded quickly, saying goodbye with a small bow and almost running towards the exit door, but turning in his direction a moment before leaving.

Sephiroth was holding up the hand that he had tightened around her side just a few seconds earlier, his head was bowed and clearly full of thoughts. The fingers tightened and for a few seconds the legendary SOLDIER didn't move.

That was enough to instill a little suspicion in Rain's mind that, to her own surprise, she thought something was happening, and not just to her, but to both of them.

The thing that bothered her most was that she didn't even mind. Had it not been for the fright caused by the noise of the simulator, what would've happened between them?

It was with that doubt that she left the room, heading straight into the room with her cheeks redder than ever and her heart in trepidation.

* * *

**Chapter 41**

**BUTTERFLIES IN THE STOMACH**

Rainiel stayed in the shower for probably a full hour. The jet of hot water swooped down onto her shoulders and her spine as she stared at the bathroom wall, too busy nibbling a fingernail and thinking.

She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened just a few hours earlier in the simulator, and it certainly wasn't referring to her fight with the robot.

She couldn't deny what happened and what she had felt seeing Sephiroth's eyes inspect her face with meticulous care, until they descended on her lips, a step away from those of...

Again, Rainiel was shaken by a warm shiver that was certainly not related to the temperature of the shower water. Her face turned red and, to counter that blush, the girl put her fingers around both cheeks.

"What's happening to me?" she wondered, thinking it would be better to lower the temperature of the jet. A gesture that, however, didn't help.

The mind brought her back to thinking when she had actually begun to bond a little more with the man that should have been nothing more than a mentor, indeed, a childhood idol that she had always thought unreachable but who that afternoon had held her close to him. Maybe unaware, or maybe he really did it just to keep her from falling.

But that look of his... it was impossible not to understand what had flashed in his mind in those few seconds.

She thought back to when Sephiroth had welcomed her into his home in Darefall, had lent her one of his shirts and offered her his room. She thought back to all the moments in which he had kept her company knowing her alone and upset, and the words he had spent to make her feel better.

Sephiroth had always been very nice to her, helpful and friendly. Zack had told her how he usually dealt with all his other subordinates, and that he was obviously quite interested in her.

"But in what sense?"

Rainiel suppressed the urge to pull her hair out. She finished washing off the shampoo - without noticing she had used up everything left inside the bottle - and turned off the water tap, getting out of the shower and wearing a warm bathrobe. She positioned herself in front of the mirror and noticed the obvious confusion in her eyes. Nothing like this had ever happened to her, how could she be able to decipher what she was feeling at that moment?

Only one thing was she certain at the moment: when she was with Sephiroth, her problems seemed to become less relevant. That man had given her confidence and hope.

And now... he had probably completely captured her.

She bit her lip and sighed: she knew that torturing herself wondering what that little warm sensation in her chest and belly really was, and if maybe he too was asking himself the same questions referring to her, wouldn't have helped if not to scare her and make her more anxious than she already was.

Rather, she felt an idea light up in her mind and realized that she could, in fact, do something.

If she wanted to understand that kind of emotion, she had to talk to an expert. And she just happened to know one...

The next afternoon, knowing that she had no simulator training, Rainiel decided to invite Vaneja to join her at the gym.

The turk had no commitments, fortunately, and gladly accepted her request, so they soon found themselves running side by side on the treadmills.

They chatted about this and that, but Rainiel was trembling. She tried to open the discussion as best she could, but she didn't succeed very well.

«Van, I have something to tell you…»

«Ouch, it sounds serious from how you talk about it.»

«N- Not exactly. I just wanted to ask you a favor. Promise me you won't tell any of our friends about it? The last thing I need is... sharp jokes. If you understand what I mean.»

«Uh-hm.» Vaneja nodded anything but convinced, «I promise, don't worry. Now spit it out or I'll get anxious.»

Rainiel slowed her run and looked away, but didn't stop.

«Well, I...»

A lump formed in her throat but she managed to swallow it quickly. She had to talk to someone about it as soon as possible.

«T- There is the remote... very remote possibility... that I... have feelings for Sephiroth.»

That sentence, born from an inconsistent babble, was finally uttered in a single breath.

Rain heard a sharp clatter and turned around just in time to notice Vaneja almost sliding on her own feet and grabbing the treadmill arms on either side of the display before ending up with her face on the fast-running belt.

Worried, she stopped and stopped her friend's too, afraid that she was hurt.

When she got up, however, she wasn't frightened but... very, very surprised. Her eyebrows practically reached the line of her short black hair and it was possible to notice droplets of sweat running down her dark skin.

«What. Did. You. Just. Say?»

Rain felt her forehead, regretting the idea.

«What you heard. You know, looking back on it, forget it... pretend I haven't told you anything...»

Vaneja looked around and yanked her arm to the women's locker room, forcing her to sit on a bench in the middle of the empty room.

"Van...? Everything alright?»

«I can't believe it!»

Rain feared that Vaneja was angry for some reason but, a moment later, she saw her give a little jump and let out a cry of joy.

«Are you serious?! Have you got a crush on General Sephiroth?»

Her wasn't a mockery but a serious question, which complicated things.

«A crush?» Rain sighed strongly. «Gosh, Van... I'm not a fifteen years old... I just don't know what it is that I feel.»

«What you feel when?» she asked more and more curious. «Something happened and you didn't tell me? If so, know that I'll be very angry! It's the first time you've talked to me about a boy like this since we've been friends, I'm on the verge of freaking out!»

«No no no! Nothing happened and... please don't freak out, I'm already quite confused like this.»

Rainiel thought her shirt collar was too tight and tried to widen it for better breathing. Mission failed.

«Then tell me everything in detail! Immediately!» her friend turk ordered directly.

«I told you, there really isn't much to tell. I just feel... weird, lately. Something happens to me when I speak to him, when he approaches or touches me. I can't explain what, so I thought I'd ask you. You understand much more than me when it comes to similar things...»

Vaneja dived next to her on the bench, clapping her hands softly without making a noise, she was so excited.

«You did well to think of me! Oh, I'm so happy!»

She caught her breath before continuing.

«Anyway... do you happen to feel small shivers go through when this happens, it's like you have a swarm of butterflies in your stomach and you'd like those moments to last much longer?»

It was a lot of questions, actually, but Rain tried to think quickly. She was somewhat introverted and her pride always threatened to outweigh her desire to tell the truth, which is why she thought she would try and make an exception, for once.

«Let's say yes ...?»

Vaneja's forefinger pointed against her chest.

«And you call this a "very remote possibility"? Honey, you're totally smitten with him. I can read it in your eyes.»

Was she really? Rain had no idea what she looked like now. She was noticing those feelings only recently. For example, when a few weeks earlier they had fallen on the lawn after the fight. How could she blame her? It would've been like denying those same chills she spoke of that had run through her entire body.

«And what about him, instead? From how Zack talks about it, I deduce that he's much kinder to you than to other people. Did you show any clear signs of interest?» Vaneja continued, in seventh heaven.

Rainiel inevitably thought back to the scene she had faced yesterday. The hand clamped on her back, the frown, his eyes drifting down to...

She looked away and blushed, looking for a valid answer, but apparently it wasn't necessary.

«Oh damn, you changed color in a second! For me this is already an answer!» her friend exulted, biting her fingers with emotion.

Her exuberance wasn't particularly helpful for Rain, who felt like she wanted to disappear immediately and pretend she hadn't told her anything. Maybe hers was just a passing emotion, after all... lately she had been through a lot, maybe she was just confused?

... Or maybe it was really worth exploring more deeply those feelings that were born in her whenever he was around her?

Just thinking back to Sephiroth, the only concept, made her stomach churn. Could he have had so much power over her?

Vaneja had stopped chatting just to think for a while, so shortly thereafter she let out a scream capable of making her red-haired friend jump.

«I have no intention of letting this freshly sailed ship sink! Knowing Sephiroth well or badly, I know he'll never decide to take the initiative, so...»

The girl's finger pointed to the other.

«... You'll be the one to take the first step!»

Rain felt faint. She knew that, one way or another, Vaneja would convince her... or compel her.

All that remained was to listen to what she had to say.

* * *


	14. Brave proposal / Date / The greatest gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After thinking she's starting to have feelings for Sephiroth, Rainiel takes Vaneja's advice and decides to ask him out for a date. How will the situation evolve?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains the following parts:
> 
> • Chapter 42: Brave proposal  
> • Chapter 43: Date  
> • Chapter 44: The greatest gift
> 
> Also, thank you all for the 200+ hits on the story!  
> Plus, if you want let me know of any language mistake in this or other chapters, please!

* * *

**Chapter 42**

**BRAVE PROPOSAL**

«That's a terrible idea.»

Rainiel used that phrase often lately. However, she had never happened to say it to herself, in front of a mirror.

A good week had passed since their chat in the gym and Vaneja had been harassing her day after day to get her to do as she had proposed. A whole week, spent pretending that her cheeks didn't flare up every time she saw Sephiroth, or that she didn't shiver pleasantly every time he approached her or even ended up brushing or touching her, which wasn't uncommon during their trainings.

A week of total endurance. Resisting the urge to follow Vaneja's advice, and repressing her emotions.

But that evening, finally, Rainiel reached the limit. She was just starting to feel better after a period of incredible pain and stress, she had no intention of having any other worries. So she'd do what Van expected of her and that, instead, Sephiroth would certainly never have expected: she'd take the first step.

«Yes, that's a terrible idea. But I'll do it anyway.»

She moved, reaching the bedroom door and puffing up her goths.

"What if he laughs at me?"

"Yeah... it might be ridiculous of me."

"Well, though... Sephiroth laughing... it's not usual..."

"Indeed. He would never. At most, he will refuse."

"And then I'll have to hide from him forever. I'll seem like a weird idiot girl..."

She went out trying to ignore the voices of her conscience that showed to have completely divergent ideas from each other and relied only on her legs, which brought her straight in front of the room of the legendary SOLDIER who was now her mentor. It was a room more isolated from the others, on a higher floor and even larger in appearance. Only the best, for the mighty Sephiroth, right?

She took a deep breath and tried knocking several times, stamping her feet on the ground.

"No, that's not right..."

"Damn, but what am I supposed to tell him?"

"Maybe it would've been better to leave him a message?"

That hesitation was her undoing, for the door soon opened by itself, while Rain's fist still hovered in the air without even knocking once.

And, behind that door, of course, was the host.

Rainiel realized she had made a terrible fool of herself.

The SOLDIER's expression was somewhat confused, questioning, but also pleasantly surprised.

«Rain? How long have you been here?» Sephiroth asked her, letting go of the door handle.

«Me? Oh- Uh... I... just arrived, actually. I wasn't here before, of course I wasn't.» she tried to put up a sentence.

He raised an eyebrow and pressed his lips.

«I've been hearing the stamping of feet just outside the door for five minutes...»

Busted. In all respects. Rainiel had lost that last bit of human dignity that remained to her. She wanted to compliment herself, clapping with her face in the middle of her hands. She deserved it, she said.

However, hier despondency was soon carried away and replaced by bewitchment.

She was used to seeing Sephiroth wearing his General's uniform, a stiff uniform in which black and tan leather prevailed, but now he wore much more comfortable and tight clothes: long bluish trousers and a black short-sleeved and tight-fitting summer t-shirt that clearly showed the lines of the pecs beneath it.

Rainiel pinched her arm. Oh dear, was she staring at him from head to toe and back again?

Sephiroth seemed rather intrigued by her presence there and her instinctive shyness, and even a little amused. He remembered a stubborn, fighting Rainiel, but maybe he didn't mind this version of her.

«Is everything all right? Do you want to come in?» he asked with a hint of thoughtfulness in his voice.

«In your room? No!»

Maybe Rainiel said too hard and shortly after she bit her lip and cursed herself. She hoped she hadn't offended him, it wasn't her intention. It was just that her imagination was running free and she didn't know how much she could ignore or hold back it once she was in his house.

«So... are you here to tell me something? Or did I just catch you at the exact moment you passed this corridor with one hand raised?»

A joke. Sephiroth had been capable of sarcasm. Now Rainiel had seen and heard everything possible.

She composed herself, promising to be calmer later, although it was rather difficult for her.

«Y- Yes, I'm here... because I wanted to ask you something.» she finally revealed.

Sephiroth crossed his arms over his chest and let himself go with one shoulder against the door jamb.

«Do it, then.» he encouraged her, in a tone colder than his expression actually seemed, crossed by an entertained half grin that only enlivened the younger girl's panic.

Rainiel clenched her hands in front of her torso, feeling the air fail. She thought she had repented and wanted to run away, but it no longer made sense. How would that look to him? What she could do was be sincere and hope that Sephiroth wouldn't be angry and annoyed because of her.

«Well... I...»

Her throat felt dry, but she forced herself to continue talking anyway after swallowing a nasty knot.

«I don't want to sound too bold or... cheeky, I mean... and I realize I haven't even apologized for my behavior towards you in the early days of our return from Darefall yet.»

As she spoke, she was surprised that she had managed to get this far. Sure, she was putting on a long spin, but she still wanted to make that premise.

«So, yeah, well, actually I... I was wondering...»

She pinched her skin again, on the back of one hand. Don't you dare block yourself now, she told himself, and somehow her stern idea came to fruition.

With her face on fire and her body on the verge of trembling, she looked away without being able to speak to him directly, as if noticing his expression reacting to her words was torture or could have a very negative effect on her.

Sephiroth, however, listened to her with total attention, as if he understood where she was going, however his gaze was indecipherable, so she couldn't hold that eye contact.

«... I was wondering if by chance you'd like to go out with me one of these nights.»

Rainiel's voice didn't even sound like hers. She had never asked anyone like this before.

Sure, she'd had some romantic interest and some minor story, but she'd never felt that way before. Sephiroth was able to nullify any of her resistance and form of courage, regarding that sphere of emotion.

She then continued to keep her eyes down on the floor, waiting for a response, verbal or physical.

One move, one word... nothing.

The only thing she could notice, from behind the little curtain of reddish hair that fell across her forehead, was the line of the General's lips... curving into an interested, and very enticed, grin.

* * *

**Chapter 43**

**DATE**

With every second that passed, Rainiel felt she was going to pass out. Maybe it was because she was holding her breath. She wanted to peek, look at his face, find out what was whirling in his head simply through a fleeting glance.

Instead, it was a contented sound that answered her.

«Are you asking me out for a date?»

His question made her blood run cold. She looked back at him, finding the man looking at her, amused, but not mocking, from the height of his exaggerated height.

Rain's defensive instincts prevailed.

«You don't necessarily have to see it as... as a date!» she improvised, not knowing what to do anymore. She thought that her idea hadn't worked out or, rather, that it had negatively surprised the General, «Consider it... my way of thanking you. Of everything you've done for me. In Darefall, and here... it meant a lot.»

«You don't have to thank me. Nor apologize.» he stopped her, without moving. It took the inflexible timbre of his voice to convince her to stop stammering in fear.

«Oh…»Rain folded her hands together. So he was rejecting her? Well, it was plausible... someone like him... on a date? What the heck had jumped into her mind

«But I'd still like to go out for a dinner with you one night.» he added suddenly, never seeming shy or indecisive.

Basically, he knew what he wanted. An advantage that Rain didn't even remotely know.

«And I'd also like to consider it a date.» he continued then, with his typical grave voice scratching his throat.

At that very moment Rainiel's heart burst completely: like a mad drum, it was beating in her ribcage threatening to puncture it and jump away at any moment, so the girl changed her mind about her own words coming to the conclusion that, perhaps, Vaneja's idea hadn't been a total dead end. In fact, maybe it wasn't at all.

«Really?» she then asked, looking back at him hopefully and perhaps giving her words a little too much emphasis.

Sephiroth's eyelids narrowed as his smile widened. It was a sly and intrigued expression, which frankly the girl didn't disdain at all. That too had a certain charm about him, also because it was the first time she had seen him so...

So how, actually? Bewitching?

«That's what I said. But...» he continued later.

Obviously, there had to be a "but". Rainiel hated buts, although she probably would've liked that.

«... I want to be the one to organize everything.» he ended soon after.

The stunned expression of the young woman explained everything.

What had happened, exactly?

Was it Sephiroth who was inviting her out with him now?

Well, he had stolen the idea, but she didn't mind.

«Oh... I guess it's not a problem...» she mumbled in response, very excited.

He reached an arm in her direction and, as she froze like a petrified prey in front of her predator, grabbed a lock of her wavy hair and twisted it in one finger, avoiding pulling it.

Damn... apparently he loved to provoke her more than his perpetually impassive appearance showed.

«This Friday?»

Rainiel no longer even remembered what a Friday was, but once she finished thinking she knew it'd be the days after tomorrow. She didn't care whether she had commitments or not, in any case she would've moved them to keep herself free.

«Yes, sounds great.»

«Perfect.»

The reddish lock fell off as Sephiroth pulled his hand back, and finally the girl thought she could move freely again.

«I'll let you know when I'm done getting everything ready. For now...»

Her vain hope of freedom was useless, because that same hand went to rest with its back on one of her cheeks.

«… I think you should go back to your room. You burn like you have a fever.»

And his comment only made her burn even more.

Rainiel followed his advice and returned to her room, throwing herself on the bed after reaching it without ever deviating direction and looking at the ceiling with a lost air.

It took her a good ten minutes to realize what had happened, then she rolled her eyes and covered her lips.

«Oh, for Gaia's sake...»

She sat up and felt a wave of strong mixed feelings hit her.

"Did I just ask my mentor on a date?" she wondered, "Or... did he ask me? Him? The great General Sephiroth?"

Years before she had dreamed of meeting him, looking at him from that little bar in Darefall, then she had met him without any warning after having caught his attention him during a battle against other recruits, then she had met him again after years, when he had saved her life.

And now... now she was waiting for the day of their first date.

"First? Well, assuming that there will be others..."

She thought, head over heels. She was so flustered that she couldn't sit still for a second longer, instead pacing up and down the bedroom, wondering what she should've worn and where they'd go.

Then, a memory flashed into her mind. She should've warned someone else, se figured. The person who had given her that advice.

She couldn't take advantage of her suggestions without then giving her the good news. It was for this reason that she picked up the phone and quickly dialed Vaneja's number, which fortunately she knew by heart and didn't have to search the phone book.

A few rings, and then the Turk answered.

«Hello, Rain? I'm sorry but I can't speak for the moment, I'm about to start training.»

«Hey, Van! Don't worry, it won't take long. I have... news about that thing we talked about.»

«Ohh, what a low blow! So you risk making me late. Geez... I'd like to talk about it for hours, and instead I'll have to ask you to give me a summary.»

Rainiel scratched her head in a fit of nervousness: she didn't even know how to explain it to her friend. Maybe she needed some more time to get it all done and recover.

«No problem, perhaps we should talk about it later calmly. How about tonight?»

«Tonight?» Van paused briefly to think before answering, «Yeah, let's do it tonight. Usual place?»

«It's a deal.»

«Great, honey. Now I'm sorry but I have to say goodbye, or Reno will crash that ugly electric baton on my head.» she muttered and clearly began to run. A background voice had just called her surname. «Well, bye bye Rain! See you later!»

Rainiel didn't even have time to end the call, because she did it first. She didn't understand much of the last part of her speech, actually - she only knew Reno by name and knew he was her superior and that Vaneja loved to tease him or steal those weird goggles he always wore on his forehead - but she didn't ask too many questions. The girl had her schedule and would talk to her later.

What Rainiel needed now was a diversion until evening, so she thought about going for a walk not far from Shinra headquarters to clear her thoughts.

It turned out to be a great idea, because she managed to let off some steam and realize something very important: the news she should have told Vaneja about was making her feel pretty good and she knew that, up there somewhere, even her beloved parents were crossing their fingers for her.

* * *

**Chapter 44**

**THE GREATEST GIFT**

Three pairs of curious and incredulous eyes focused on the girl.

Rainiel clenched her arms, furious, and glared at Vaneja.

«Remind me when, exactly, I said the four of us would meet.»

She shrugged, pretending to be innocent.

«Oh, it should've been just the two of us? Excuse me, my hearing is so bad... with my superior shouting at me, tho...»

She put a little finger to her ear, pretending to be a bit deaf, but her grin gave her away.

«Let me guess, you've already told them everything, haven't you?» the other continued, stamping one foot quickly on the ground.

«Maybe I did...»

«You're impossible, I swear.»

Zack grabbed both of her hands. He sat on her right and, immediately next to him, Cloud was keeping his elbows on the table and his head resting on his palms, uncomfortably.

«Know that I am very offended! You should've warned me first and instead you decided not to tell me anything!» he feigned a pout, shaking her arms playfully.

She freed herself and sighed strongly.

«I just wanted to avoid your bold jokes, Zack. You know I would've told you anyway, sooner or later.»

«But my jokes weren't so wrong, were they? A date with Sephiroth... damn, Rain! You never cease to surprise me!»

Rainiel covered her face with one hand, trying to hide her blush.

«I- I don't even know whether to really consider it a date... it could go wrong, who knows?»

Vaneja slapped her arm.

«It'll be fine, stop torturing yourself.»

«So?» Zack continued, «How did you ask him? Were you two training? In your own way, maybe?»

Rain's bluish eyes pierced him.

«Don't start again!» she exclaimed and then went on, growing incredibly shy, «Well… I just invited him to dinner… or he invited me… or… I don't know, actually. I only know that I'll see him on the day after tomorrow's evening. And that I've no idea how to behave.»

The Turk sitting at the bar table snorted hard.

«You say that like he's the first guy you go to dinner with.»

«I know, but... he's not like the others. Actually, he's completely different...»

As she said it, Rainiel blushed more and looked away.

Zack snapped his fingers.

«Here's that look! We've completely lost Rainiel!»

She pinched him for revenge.

Meanwhile, Cloud turned a glass of sparkling water in his fingers and sighed.

«It's just a date… although with Sephiroth, I don't see what this enthusiasm is due to. I find it more important that he's your mentor, isn't it?»

Zack raised an arm and with it encircled the shoulders of his younger friend, raising and lowering his eyebrows with a shrewd expression.

«Sure, Cloud... keep being tough as long as you want, but we know that if Tifa were here in town, you too would be dying to invite her to dinner and you'd be bursting with emotion.» he provoked him without second thought, and in a bad moment too.

The young infantryman with spikey blonde hair was in fact drinking but, hearing his words, the water went sideways and while his face was tinged with another shade tending to the color of a ripe tomato, he began to cough and pat in his chest, and then he sank into an embarrassed silence.

«Leave Cloud alone, wimp. Can't you see he's shy?» Van also added.

Cloud coughed one last time.

«Cut it out...»

Zack raised a hand, looking at his friend with the short raven haircut.

«I must correct, we've lost both of them.»

Rainiel snorted hard but didn't reply, and shortly thereafter Vaneja returned to focus on her.

«Well, we'd better think about you for now. So, do you already have a dress for the occasion?»

«I have some, but...»

“I mean a real dress. Not those giant jumpsuits or one of your loose, floor-length skirts with some simple t-shirt. You have to wear something that will make him dizzy as soon as he sees you, all right?»

«Make him dizzy? Sephiroth? I wouldn't be able to make him dizzy even if I hit him with a cricket bat.»

Vaneja put her hands to her hair.

«Alarm for Rainiel! Apparently Van will have to repeat the basics for you... and take you shopping. You'll see, when the dear General puts his eyes on a beautiful neckline and on the fabric that stands your rockin' body, he...»

«I won't wear anything like that!»

Rainiel clapped a hand on the table. If it were up to her, she would've done without elegance all her life. She preferred comfortable shoes to heels, sweatshirts to cropped tops, and sweatpants to the mind-boggling skirts that Vaneja spoke of. In fact, she didn't have a great sense of fashion. She was faithful to her much-loved second-class SOLDIER uniform.

«Whatever...» Zack cleared his throat to get back into the discussion, «What matters is that you're still yourself that night. If Sephiroth has gladly accepted to have dinner with you it's because he appreciates your personality and sincerity. You don't have to feel uncomfortable, so smile and, if you don't like something, just say it.»

While it was highly unlikely that Sephiroth or whatever he chose would not please her, Rainiel appreciated that advice.

She was about to tell him openly when her phone vibrated.

Van, Zack and Cloud pricked up their ears and waited for Rain to speak.

When she checked the screen, she shivered.

«It's... It's him.»

Se thought she had called him by mistake or who knows what, but she was wrong. His was a simple message. An update. Rainiel read it aloud, because she knew that otherwise one of her friends would snatch the phone from her hand and do it for her.

«The invitation for this Friday is confirmed. I'll pick you up at eight o'clock, be ready. I'll take you to a special place.»

Rain felt her heart beat harder as she thought about how to answer him - she then opted for a simple thank you - and she felt again seized by that pleasant and unusual sensation that originated from the lower abdomen and went up the back, pointing to her chest, like a sweet tingling.

Van let out a scream attracting the attention of all the customers of the place, but she didn't care. She pretended to cover her nose as if blood were dripping and placed a hand on her chest.

«You don't know how much I envy you, girl. I have the impression that Sephiroth knows how to deal with these things...» she sighed earnestly, «Don't let him slip away or I'll blame you for life!»

«And I'll help you with it.» Zack agreed, «Rainiel, everything will be fine. I know for sure you two are gonna have a wonderful evening. Oh and, of course, you'll have to tell us every detail afterwards!»

Rainiel knew they had nothing to worry about: at that moment she'd never, ever let go of Sephiroth. Only the thought that he'd come and pick her up from her room and accompany her to a place that remained a mystery to her, or rather, a surprise, made her jump with pleasure.

That evening, when she went to sleep in her great room and watched the little clouds gather in front of a splendid crescent in the sky above Midgar, she hugged her pillow and let out a big, cheerful smile.

She remembered what she had read in Hojo's diary, what Sephiroth should've become according to his father's twisted mind: a war machine, a monster. Instead, she thought in that instant, that man was anything but an evil being. Although a bit cold and reserved, he hid a good and caring side that few were allowed to observe. But being one of those few was the greatest gift she could hope for... and she had received it.


	15. Shivers / High speed / Candlelight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally begins the most exciting evening of Rain's life: that of her date with Sephiroth. After an unexpected event in the young woman's room and a sensational motorcycle trip, the two reach the Loveless Restaurant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 45: Shivers  
> • Chapter 46: High speed  
> • Chapter 47: Candlelight

* * *

**Chapter 45**

**SHIVERS**

Rainiel had been keeping her eyes on the clock for at least a quarter of an hour now. She felt her legs tremble with emotion and had passed in front of the mirror quite a few times, adjusting some creases in her clothes or rebellious curls, checking that the makeup wasn't dripping and often sprinkling herself with another little perfume, without exaggerating.

She flatly refused to wear the dress that Vaneja had forced her to buy yesterday afternoon, she thought it was too elegant for such an occasion. She didn't have to go to a wedding after all! In the end she had opted for an ordinary white blouse and a long beige skirt, with pretty sandals on her feet and some not too exaggerated jewelry.

Now, however, she was beginning to have some doubts. Maybe she had taken the importance of that date for granted? Maybe she should've untied the hair she had tied in another braid and let the curls fall free on her shoulders...

Two knocks on the door made her tremble and jump in surprise. As she turned back and forth, lost, she almost bumped into a wall, and shortly after avoided tripping.

«I'll be right over!» she exclaimed in a voice a little too shrill and regretted it, but she was soon at the door.

The great moment she had been waiting for three days had arrived. She took a deep breath, smoothed her blouse and finally turned the handle.

She couldn't even say hello when she found herself in front of that scene.

Sephiroth was leaning against the corridor wall, with that typical ease of his face tinted, his long hair down and his hands in his pockets. The black tuxedo he wore was snug enough to highlight the shape of his arms and outline the well-trained muscles he used to emphasize; an equally dark tie stood out charmingly on an intense dark red shirt covered by the jacket, while the trousers were also black and elegant, embellished with a dark leather belt, and underneath was matched a pair of shoes that at first sight swore to be very, very expensive.

Sephiroth was, in all respects, splendid. His angelic face crowned a sumptuous work which, however, didn't at all give the impression of being brash and lustful. On the contrary, it was the simplicity of the whole, by no means obvious, that attracted attention.

Rain felt her stomach tighten and went to touch her belly: at this rate, any girl who saw him would try to take him away.

«Good evening, Rain.» he greeted her as soon as the door was opened, giving her a simple look. He hadn't brought flowers with him, he probably considered them rather trivial as a gift, and in any case Rain didn't care, since she didn't know at all what that evening would have in store for her.

«G- Good evening... Seph... Sephiroth...» she stammered, promising to tighten her lips before she could make herself look bad. She was totally hooked on his looks, he was really perfect. She almost thought she had dreamed him and that none of this was seriously true, but then she had to think again in seeing the clear eyes of the man, who reached her calmly, traveling from her face to her feet, without sparing a single centimeter of her body from the careful analysis he was conducting.

This made Rain boil and feel terribly hot. One more second of silence and she'd probably have sent to hell that evening with some silly idea.

«Are you ready to go?» he asked her without adding anything else. From his tone of voice, the girl knew that he was surprised, but not thrilled. Above all, she realized that Vaneja was right.

Sephiroth was a handsome, famous, powerful and wealthy man. It was logical that he had dealt with gorgeous and extremely sensual women! Who would ever miss such a guy?

It was with this reasoning that she realized she had made a mistake. There was an abysmal difference between her casual and somewhat monotonous look and the seductive and gallant one he had chosen instead and to which he was certainly used.

With a dry throat, she pretended to cough.

«Um... I think I still have to change, actually...» she invented on the spot. She looked around and opened the door wide. «Well, I wanted to know... how to dress, in short. Is the place we're going... elegant?»

A silly question, but the only one that jumped into her mind.

Sephiroth adjusted his tie and lifted his chin, unblinking.

«I'm the General of SOLDIER. Did you think I'd take you to a poor place?»

Brutal. But correct.

«No, obviously not...»

Panicking again, she moved away and realized that she couldn't close the door in his face, it wouldn't make sense and would be extremely rude. Therefore...

«It shouldn't take long. Do you want to come in and wait for me there?»

It wasn't the first time Sephiroth had visited her in her room. Of course, it had never happened that she had to change her dress in the General's presence, but that was the only option at the time.

«All right.» he answered quietly and, nonchalantly, entered and looked around.

Clearly Rainiel wasn't waiting for guests and didn't expect to receive him in the room, but the house looked quite tidy. If nothing else, she was recovering from the dark period she had experienced.

Luck would have it that Rainiel had hung the new dress recommended by Vaneja directly in the bathroom after trying it on for the last time. She thought she was going to hide it in the closet the next day or that very evening but, thankfully, it was still there.

«You can sit in the living room if you like. I'll try to hurry, I promise...»

With that offer, Rain ran to the bathroom and pushed the sliding door so it closed.

Sephiroth did as requested and went to sit on a small sofa in the open space. In front of him was Rainiel's bedroom, her large double bed with scented blankets, and directly to the right the bathroom.

He heard some noise coming from there and, when he instinctively turned to look, he noticed that the door hadn't been closed properly. An uncovered arm of the girl peeked behind it and Sephiroth saw it disappear shortly after, but didn't move. Impossible to understand what was going through his head, because he just crossed his legs and waited patiently without saying a word.

«Okay! I'm ready! It's a little uncomfortable… but I hope it can go.» Rain announced from the bathroom, before putting her hand on the side of the door.

Sephiroth stood up and waited for her to show, not forgetting to look at the watch.

«The important thing is to leave on time. If we're late, our reservation could even be...»

He didn't finish his sentence because in that exact moment Rainiel showed herself in full.

She'd let her hair down over her shoulders, which was rarely the case as she kept them tied up most of the time to train smoothly, and of course she had changed clothes.

Now she wore a dress that was decidedly tighter and left little to the imagination, with a short skirt up to just above the knee and long sleeves, characterized however by a transparent effect that left the collarbones, shoulders and the entire lower arm uncovered, except for the parts in which, for example at the base of the neck and in the upper parts, an accurate series of flowers embroidered in fabric of the same color as the dress, whose fabric tended to the burgundy shade, which was very reminiscent of the color the shirt worn by the date. Finally, a lace of small gems encircled her waist and highlighted her not too wide hips, completing the work of the bold neckline that instead gave her a much more feminine look.

«... canceled.»

Sephiroth finished speaking, but in a completely different tone. He had spent a considerable amount of seconds looking at the girl who was going to keep him company that night, and suddenly it didn't seem so urgent that he had to get to the restaurant that awaited them somewhere in one of the most important parts of Midgar.

Rainiel had even changed her accessories and worn a necklace and earrings with ruby-like pendants in a golden and bright color, more precious than those chosen previously, and replaced the brown sandals with a pair of high-heeled shoes similar to ankle boots that went up to mid-calf.

Rainiel realized she was being watched in a somewhat interested way. Sephiroth's expression had completely changed in a single second as his eyes shifted from the clock to her.

She had never seen him so pleasantly surprised before, but the fear led her to think she should get his approval before leaving.

«I guess this can do... how do I look?» she asked innocently and bit her lip, now tinged with a passionate scarlet red.

Sephiroth muttered something under his breath, something that seemed to be a sincere compliment and anything but restrained, but perhaps not suitable for the moment. Soon he cleared his throat and tried to compose himself. For the first time, Rainiel managed to get him to look away before she did.

«You're perfect.» he then commented, but this adjective too managed to make the heart of the young pupil dance like crazy, and she held back her emotion.

«Thank you... just ... can I ask you a favor?» she asked later, in a cold sweat. She prayed the makeup wouldn't slip off her because of it.

«What is it?» he asked, lingering over the shapes of her physique again for a brief moment, probably without even realizing it.

Rainiel took a half turn and lowered her voice.

«Could you... help me with the zipper?»

She wouldn't normally ask him, she was already going crazy like that. Unfortunately, however, that dress was more complicated to wear than she thought and for this Rain began to believe that Vaneja had made her buy it just to make that scene happen.

Now with her back to him, Rainiel parted her hair so it didn't get in the way of the zip on the back.

Sephiroth noticed her bare back, pale skin, and the shadow of her vaguely stiff shoulder blades. Without really answering he reached her and let one hand slide along the zipper to the drawer, while the other gently closed the two flaps to be joined.

He was much slower than necessary in pulling the zipper up to its destination, generating cold shivers down the spine of the girl, who couldn't stop the goosebumps that seized her.

Sephiroth, of course, didn't let that detail slip away. Rain couldn't see his face but, for some reason, she knew he was smiling covertly.

Van was right about one thing in particular... Sephiroth really knew how to deal with these things.

When the drawer ran out and the zipper was finally closed, the man didn't immediately pull back. On the contrary, his fingers retraced the same path more quickly to the girl's hips and, for a moment, stopped right there.

Rainiel, surprised, let out a small astonished verse that she wasn't fast enough to repress. She stood still, without speaking, but for a moment she felt the General's face approach her neck and silently inhale the good scent of her freshly washed and groomed hair.

At this rate, the reservation would be canceled for sure...

But finally the grip on her hips was released and Rainiel heard the sound of footsteps moving away.

«We should go now.» he reminded her, opening the door.

Rainiel turned back and walked as fast as she could to pass him, grab the bag and precede him into the corridor, aware that the complexion on her cheeks had nullified any effort made by the make-up to conceal it.

A somewhat meaningless idea, because not only did she have to lock the room but she also had to follow him.

Of course, the two didn't go unnoticed: SOLDIERS of all types and ranks who lived on that floor observed the two parading up to the elevator that would take them to the first floors, and some of them even commented in a whisper, not to mention the glances that landed on the girl.

Perhaps it was for this reason that Sephiroth, without looking directly at even one of his subordinates but realizing their intentions simply by intuition, suddenly grabbed Rain's hand to lead her by himself.

Whether he did it out of instinct or jealousy, she didn't know, but she easily noticed how the other men present realized they had to avoid looking at her too long for their own good.

She would've preferred them to do it normally and not because another man had pointed out his annoyance, but she accepted with a sigh and concentrated on Sephiroth's protective gesture, which she hadn't expected but which at least managed to give her some more thrills.

And to think that the evening had just begun... !

* * *

**Chapter 46**

**HIGH SPEED**

The elevator stopped after a short wait. Neither of them spoke in that minimum amount of time and so, when the doors reopened, Rainiel glanced at the number that appeared on the red-digit display.

"The parking lot." she remembered, even though that was just one of several Shinra had made available to employees and workers of various types. That was, in particular, one of the most reserved.

«Follow me.» Sephiroth said, letting go of her hand and preceding her.

Rainiel hadn't even noticed that he was still holding her with his after they got into the elevator, or she'd probably miss a beat. When he let go, however, she noticed it and felt the urge to join him. She did so shortly after, unwilling to walk behind him, and let him guide her through that maze of gorgeous sports cars or hyper-expensive vehicles. She knew how to drive, sure, but she had never even seen so many beautiful cars up close in one place. She had never even set foot in that parking lot, despite having lived in the Shinra building for years.

After passing the cars, they reached a more isolated area which they only had access to when Sephiroth showed a card to an electronic door. A large gate opened, giving access to the area that, in all probability, was reserved for a single person, one of the most important in that place... him.

Rainiel felt faint in noticing other parked cars that certainly weren't considered shoddy and began to think that being SOLDIER General's shouldn't be a badly paid job.

However Sephiroth didn't say a word, he didn't even boast for a single moment of his possessions or comment on a single one of them. Reaching some shelves in another area, he grabbed two pitch-black full-face helmets and handed one to Rain.

She blinked, startled. Would Sephiroth really accompany her on a motorcycle?

With a small electric remote control, the General raised a metal shutter that revealed a huge, all-black sports bike, elegant like few others she had seen before.

The thought of traveling uncomfortably on it because of the skirt didn't even touch her, she was so enraptured by its sight.

«... Wow.» she didn't hold back from commenting, before pulling herself together and putting on her helmet, hoping it wouldn't flatten her hair too much.

Sephiroth was ready and soon got on the bike, starting the engine which roared like a dragon awakening from a deep sleep.

For some strange reason, although Rainiel was more accustomed to seeing the young man moving around on foot and in completely different clothes, his figure wasn't out of place at all in that context. A motorcycle... most SOLDIERs were crazy about high speed. Who knows how long he had had it? Maybe he used it to escape, from time to time, from that daily life he led made only of weapons and missions?

Before finding an answer, the man with the long silver hair winked at her, indicating that she could reach him.

Rain had a bit of a struggle getting into the saddle, this being very tall and more suited to someone like Sephiroth than to her, and in this the heels didn't help her at all - and even with those she hadn't been able to reach the height of the General or, rather, not even his chin.

When she succeeded she hastened to adjust her skirt which fortunately was long enough not to represent a danger or an embarrassment, and she understood that they were about to leave.

Sephiroth glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and, judging by his gaze, Rainiel caught a small amused grin. Typical.

«Hold on tight.» he suggested, before lowering the visor and bending his back to match the speed they'd follow.

Rain clenched her hands around the small side handles where she could hold herself, thinking she didn't want to seem too cheeky to hold on to him on the ride but, shortly after, her hope went up in smoke.

A gate to the reserved parking lot opened to reveal the streets of Midgar just ahead and, a moment later, the bike accelerated quickly catching her off guard and almost throwing her.

Terrified, Rain instinctively and literally grabbed her superior's back, hugging him in fright. A small vibration hit Sephiroth and she felt it after pressing her cheek against the top of his back.

"Is he laughing? What an embarrassment..."

With a sigh, Rainiel considered letting him go slowly as they already sped at high speed down a great road that would lead them somewhere in that or another sector of Midgar, but there was nothing she could do. She was too afraid of falling.

Plus, after getting used to it at least a little, she didn't mind too much having an excuse to huddle on him without seeming too pretentious. His hair flew lightly just above her head and Rain narrowed her eyes, crouching and enjoying the moment as her hands encircled the trained torso of the man, who had no intention of protesting.

The journey didn't last long, perhaps a few minutes. Midgar was a big city, but the bike was traveling fast and the roads chosen by Sephiroth led them almost immediately to their destination. Again, a parking space was reserved for him in a rather comfortable area of one of the sectors. Rainiel could see very well from there the lights of the Shinra headquarters, the tall building where she lived and trained, but also that of other clubs and well-lit streets.

Once parked, she carefully got off the bike and adjusted her skirt one last time, taking off her helmet.

Sephiroth did the same and walked over to her, giving her a look as if asking for an opinion about something. Only then did his brow furrow and his hands reached the young woman's arm.

«Are you okay? You're ice-cold.» he asked her sincerely.

Although she felt very hot whenever her body came into contact with his, she foolishly acknowledged that she hadn't even put on the jacket she had brought with her, but just rubbed her hands together calmly.

«I'm fine... it must have been the wind.» she smiled broadly and somewhat shyly, not wanting to worry him.

The General's eyes light up for a second with a new light upon seeing her smile, but shortly thereafter he turned his attention elsewhere.

«Let's go. They are waiting for us.» he remembered to her.

Raniel nodded in response but, turning her back to the bike, shuddered to find herself in front of the Loveless Restaurant, which was one of the most prestigious and prominent places in the entire city that took its name from a famous opera that Rainiel had heard about a million times from a certain someone. It was known throughout Midgar and not only for the excellent quality of the products they served, but also for the staggering figures that had to be paid once consumed.

«H- Have you booked... here?» she asked before even elaborating on reality.

Sephiroth dropped his hands into his pockets and turned a little to look at her.

«You don't like it?» he asked, without a precise tone.

«T- That's not it! I love it... it's just that I've never been here before.» she explained, letting him understand that she wasn't at all used to visiting certain places. After all, she had been born and raised in a small town a long way from the large ciry she lived in now, and had never demanded such luxury in her life. Apparently, either it wasn't a problem for Sephiroth to visit such restaurants regularly, or he really wanted to impress her. This last option seemed to her the best and she felt happy and a little spoiled, in the good sense of the word.

«It's a good place. An old friend of mine recommended it to me a long time ago. I've only been there a couple of times.» he said calmly, before retracing his steps.

Who knows why, Rainiel had the impression that she knew his elusive friend well. For an instant, she even wished she could thank him, even though she had known him in the past and made sure she didn't get along with him too well.

Shrugging her shoulders, she went back to join Sephiroth and braced herself for the elegant evening, perhaps the best of her life to date.

* * *

**Chapter 47**

**CANDLELIGHT**

«General Sephiroth! Welcome!»

A young woman joined them both at the entrance, wearing typical clothes of a worker, probably working in the reception or as a waitress. She was very pretty, with her hair tied up and her face made up in a way that was anything but vulgar.

Just seeing her, Rainiel's self-esteem plummeted, then dropped right under her heels when, with a quick glance, she caught sight of the rich women sitting at the tables closest to the entrance. Their hairstyles, their clothes, the way they moved and talked... Rain didn't look like any of them and it was impossible to explain why she, and not one of them, was there that day to accompany Sephiroth. Did she have to feel lucky? Or expect to be dumped at any moment as soon as an attractive woman with a full wallet decided to do some coaxing to the handsome young General?

«Good evening.» he greeted with a serious and simple tone.

«Your table is ready. Please, you can take a seat if you want!» she pointed out, reaching out an arm so that both of them preceded her up a staircase that led who knows where.

Her brown eyes, finally, leaned right on Rain, who prayed that she didn't reserve some contemptuous comment.

«If I may, miss, you're gorgeous! I love your hair and dress! The General's a lucky man!» she exclaimed instead, probably in all sincerity.

Rain felt a small sense of hope arise deep in her heart. Did she really find her pretty?

Sephiroth heard everything and, although he didn't stop to discuss it much, he replied without changing expression.

«I am.» he confirmed without mentioning anything else, but it was enough to petrify Rainiel that held back a scream that was anything but appropriate to the context.

Instead she dropped her head and closed her eyes, smiling.

«Thank you so much, you're very kind.» she answered before following the man in front of her.

The stairs led them to another floor and then, continuing to climb, to an isolated terrace. The wooden railings that delimited it housed or were surrounded by flowers of various types and colors, while at each corner of the small columns there were busts and faces of statues in light stone. A single set table stood in the middle of the small area, dominated by a charming motionless awning. Luckily there was no wind and no cold, as it was still in the height of summer it was a great place to dine more intimately rather than surrounded by other people. After all, many guests had cast incredulous looks at seeing the legendary Sephiroth himself pass by, and knowing him personally, Rain knew very well that he didn't like to feel observed, especially if on a date with a woman. Who knows what gossip would've spread later if someone had recognized her as his pupil... in short, it would've been a real scandal. He didn't care what others thought, he simply preferred to keep his private life to himself, and Rain couldn't help but think the same. Apparently, he had thought of everything, so as to allow both of them to spend a beautiful evening, undisturbed and peaceful.

Even the view was wonderful from that point: the terrace overlooked perfectly beyond the edge of the plate and from there it was possible to turn west to admire the red sun sinking into the horizon. As it was still midsummer, the sunset came late and they managed to get there just in time to admire it.

«The menu has already been agreed, so for now I'll leave you alone. I hope you can have a wonderful evening!» the waitress added, disappearing after a quick bow.

And, in fact, the two were left alone.

While Rainiel felt the butterflies in her stomach again, or perhaps a swarm of angry hornets, Sephiroth walked away and grabbed the back of a chair, pushed it away from the table and then looked at Rain, who moved quickly and went to take a seat, thanking him for the kindness.

Sephiroth knew manners and seemed accustomed to elegance, although Rain was more accustomed to seeing him in other contexts. A battlefield would've been one where he would've been able to move best but, in retrospect, there probably wasn't a single thing that this man couldn't do perfectly. Rainiel felt very lucky and, at the same time, hopeless. What could she possibly do, to surprise him at least a little?

He sat down right in front. They were separated by a large candle surrounded by a faux rose centerpiece. The flame shone in the General's teal eyes, which looked both menacing and persuasive.

Rain pinched her hand again. It was something she did a lot lately.

«What do you think about it?» he asked pragmatically, as he grabbed a bottle of fine wine they had brought to the table shortly before and filled first the girl's glass, then his own.

Rain raised the glass to toast quickly before bringing it to her lips.

«I'm... out of breath.» she finally revealed, taking a sip and swallowing it. Even the wine seemed to come from another world. «This place is wonderful.» she smiled shortly after.

"But maybe it's you who makes it more beautiful."

The thought raced through her mind and led to a small cough that managed to distract her.

«I knew you would say that.» a small grin escaped his perpetually impassive face, «This is the best restaurant I know,» he explained shortly after, «but it's the first time I've invited a woman here.»

Rainiel took a sip longer than the others, hoping that the color on her face could be attributed to the wine and not to embarrassment or emotion.

Who knows what other places he had frequented before and how many other women. Such a man could never go unnoticed, and this made the girl a little jealous, and she looked down.

«Did you go out... with many other women before me?» she asked, but that was the wrong question.

Sephiroth looked away.

«We're not here to talk about this, are we?» he avoided answering, partly because it was a rather trivial question, «Tonight I'm here with you. I'd rather focus on this.»

He fixed his gaze on her, and Rain bit her lip, playing with a lock of hair.

«Right... sorry.» she finished then. Better to avoid unsuitable speeches, especially if on the first date. And Vaneja had made her understand one important thing: more than anything else, never talk about exes. It would've completely ruined the atmosphere.

There was still some time left for the appetizers to arrive, time that somehow needed to be filled.

It was clear that if they were both there of their own free will, it was because neither of them saw their relationship as limited to a professional setting. They both knew that there could be something more, or at least that was what Rainiel hoped for, which is why she slowly let her hand slide across the table towards his, which rested next to a silk napkin while with his right hand he brought the goblet of excellent wine to his mouth.

«Sephiroth...» she called then, unable to look at him and out of breath.

He put down his glass and turned his attention to her without a word.

For this very reason, it took her some time to find the right words.

«I know you said I don't have to thank you, but I want to insist. Being here tonight... with you...»

She felt the words die in hee throat, but she struggled to keep from freezing just then.

In that instant, she gathered the courage needed to reach his hand with hers and cover it, without squeezing it or bending too much on the table. Again she blushed, but not too much, and this time she didn't hide it. She felt that Sephiroth didn't mind seeing what effect his every action had on her, even his very presence.

«... it means a lot to me. Especially after what happened in Darefall. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be locked up in my room blaming myself for the deaths of all those people.»

Incredibly, the warrior's eyes dropped to his hand and, shortly after, he himself let their fingers intertwine. She lifted her face a little and slowly blinked a single time. He wasn't afraid to dare.

«I've already said that the fault is not yours. The accident would have happened anyway, one way or another. You fought to protect those people.»

Rain sighed. His every word was an extra comfort, but she hadn't been able to completely forget or accept what had happened weeks ago.

«One day I'll be able to believe you, I hope. For now, however... I understand that I have to look forward. And that's what I'm going to do.»

Finally she raised her eyes to his and could no longer look away, enchanted by that dark magnetism that the man's feral irises expressed.

If only there hadn't been that table to divide them, she...

A smile from the young General made her knees tremble. Luckily she was sitted and didn't risk falling.

«That's what I expected to hear from you.»

With his free hand, he poured some more wine for the girl and for himself, just the right amount to toast to the hope of a bright future.

A future that, perhaps, would've united the paths of both.

So, with their hands still together and never breaking that intense eye contact, they began the candlelit dinner that both had been waiting for days.


	16. Starry night / The face of a killer / Lasting memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date between Rainiel and Sephiroth is interrupted by an unexpected event that brings back the dark side of the General. Will Rain be able to forgive him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 48: Starry night  
> • Chapter 49: The face of a killer  
> • Chapter 50: Lasting memory

* * *

**Chapter 48**

**STARRY NIGHT**

Dinner went smoothly and Rainiel finally felt genuinely happy for the first time in a long, long time.

The food was delicious and beautiful even to the eye, the candle was replaced once it was completely melted and, to finish, the flowers placed on the terrace gave off a wonderful scent that helped to make the atmosphere magical.

She and Sephiroth talked about this and that, quite unusual as a factor knowing the General's introverted and reserved nature, but that only made Rainiel feel even more special.

Soon she stopped believing that she had to prove herself as good as him or any of the women he'd dated before meeting her or that at least had dinner with him, and began to relax and believe that Zack was right in telling her she just needed to be herself. She even managed to snatch a few smiles from the unperturbed General, who in turn seemed to be enjoying the evening without turning his attention to external problems, such as the Darefall incident or the mako copies roaming free in the neighboring territories.

At the end of the dinner, then, he apologized to Rain and left to pay the bill. The girl tried to dissuade him, but she knew very well that she couldn't even dream of paying for a dinner like that. Eventually, Sephiroth didn't even answer her and the two left the Loveless Restaurant, deciding to take a stroll through the quieter streets in the sector before returning home.

«So your friend would like to join SOLDIER?»

«Cloud's a prodigy boy, I've always said that. He'd like to become a SOLDIER, but I think he can't find the confidence in himself. You should see him train sometime, maybe if he saw you he'd convince himself to give his all!»

«I'll do it... if he proves he's up to the division.»

«He'll surprise you, I'm sure.»

Rain let out a quiet sigh. Her stomach was full and her feet ached a little from the heels, but she had no intention of going home right now. On the contrary, she wished that night would never end. It was a dream come true... she and Sephiroth, pretending to be the only two people left in the world. No Shinra, no SOLDIER, no Hojo and no experimental project to disturb them. Just the two of them, a white crescent in the sky and a light breeze that had just lifted.

The stars shone pale and a little faint in the sky. The lights of the city unfortunately dampened their intensity, but Midgar shone by itself, joining the show.

Rainiel stopped halfway to look at that breathtaking view. They were in a higher neighborhood and closer to the center of the platform, which is why they could see the distant horizon blend into the land below. The small street was less illuminated and completely deserted. Sephiroth wanted to avoid the busiest streets or as usual he'd have been attacked by groups of fans who would've interrupted his evening. Frankly, Rain didn't want him to turn his attention elsewhere for now. She liked to live that night, that one night, as if her life was another. One where he wasn't just her commander.

Sephiroth noticed her hesitation and, putting his hands in his trouser pockets, turned to check.

«Did you stop?»

«I was looking at the sky. Tonight it's wonderful... isn't it?»

Rain continued to keep her face uplifted and for a moment Sephiroth also looked at the moon.

«I didn't notice. I don't usually look at the sky.»

«You should, sometimes! It's relaxing. And today it's really a show.»

She sighed again, and pulled herself tighter in the jacket she had finally placed over her shoulders. It was quite late in the evening and it was getting colder now.

Sephiroth noticed her holding back a shiver and for a moment a particular light reflected in his eyes.

He walked slowly until he reached her, without any rush. He slipped his hands out of his pockets and soon used them to brush Rain's back.

She gasped but didn't dare move. What was he going to do?

«It'll also probably be a show...»

Again, that little grin appeared on his face. There was something, in his expression, an entirely new decision. Now that they were alone, and no one could finally bother them, maybe they could both be themselves for once.

«... but there's something even more beautiful that catches my attention tonight.»

Rain felt the General's hand rest on her side, while the other traveled up to her face.

Calmly, Sephiroth brushed a lock of her reddish hair back, staring behind her ear. Shortly thereafter he stroked the shape of her cheekbone with his thumb and, again later, touched her lips. She followed the lower fold, thin but soft, as he gently pulled the pupil to him, completely abandoned to her will.

He was a breath away from her. Tall, powerful, handsome. His serpentine eyes glowed in the darkness just like her own, shining with a force that even the high moon would envy him. He was holding her to him without forcing her, but clearly letting go.

With that typical smile of his that often and willingly broke the stern gaze of his face, he lifted the young woman's face using the slightest pressure on her chin.

Just as it had happened in the simulator, days before, their torsos fit perfectly and now Rainiel was also trying to seize the moment, reaching with her hands his broad shoulders, now free from the armor and the long black jacket he used to wear.

Again, his water-colored eyes dropped to her mouth, but this time it was no accident.

This time... maybe was their time.

The air suddenly grew warmer and Rainiel felt her heart beating at an impossible rate. She had spent so much time worrying about her feelings and how to handle them, she hadn't realized how natural this really could be. It was as if their bodies had been created to fit together, as if it was written that their breaths would merge into one.

«Seph...» she tried to say his name, but the General tightened his grip around her waist and leaned forward, suddenly moving faster.

He parted his lips to reach hers, more determined than ever...

... and then a shrill laugh from the driveway entrance interrupted everything.

Sephiroth immediately snapped back, not letting her go but directing his now terribly annoyed irises in the direction of anyone who dared to ruin that moment that he too had been waiting impatiently for.

It took Rainiel a few seconds to understand what was happening to escape the spell of which she was deluded. When she too looked at the person who had just laughed as a hungry hyena would, her every SOLDIER sense vibrated to tell her to prepare to defend herself.

A middle-aged man with an unkempt beard and blank eyes wielded a Swiss army knife and whistled at them as he approached.

The evening had suddenly taken an unexpected turn.

* * *

**Chapter 49**

**THE FACE OF A KILLER**

Rainiel clenched her fists and pursed her lips.

A man staggered up to them, his knife in plain sight. He turned it around in his fingers like a toy.

«How cute... _hic_... Did I disturb you?» he asked.

Judging from his hiccups, and from the fact that the street was soon filled with the smell of alcohol, the same that permeated him completely, the man was totally drunk. As if that weren't enough, he was clearly looking for trouble.

He kept getting closer, so Sephiroth released Rain and took a step in front of her. They had faced far worse, but judging by the General's expression no monster had ever seemed more revolting than the one now before his eyes. Plus, he most likely didn't want him to get close to Rain.

"An evil person is worse than an angry creature..." Rain thought. Monsters could be killed and that would've been enough to defend themselves, but that was a human.

«Yes, you did.» then he answered, in a tone that didn't allow for replies. He wanted him to go away.

«What a shame...»

The man leaned against a wall and for a second he seemed to have to throw up even yesterday's lunch, but he restrained himself and wiped the saliva from his lips. He pointed to Rainiel with the knife.

«While I'm here, sweetie... _hic._.. I see you have some nice rubies with you. Let's just give me those and I'll go away, mh?» he proposed.

Rain instinctively touched the necklace. It was one of the most precious she owned and she had wanted to wear it for the date for this very reason. However, if that would've been enough to avoid a tragedy, she would've quietly surrendered them to the stranger and retraced her steps. Of course, immediately afterwards she'd turn to the authorities so that he'd be arrested.

Sephiroth replied before she could do anything.

«I have a better idea: get lost.» he thundered seriously, never raising his voice more than he should. He looked quite angry, but he hadn't completely lost his temper. He hadn't even moved very far from his post beside the girl.

The drunk man grunted unhappily.

«You got some guts, little boy... or little girl? The hair confuses me... hehe...» he continued to rage, swinging on his own feet. «But you're just an overgrown child. If you don't want to find this in your side, I suggest you throw those beautiful jewels at me first.» he pointed to the knife, then to the girl's neck. He wanted that necklace and earrings.

Sephiroth stiffened but didn't breathe. He certainly didn't like quarrels, and it didn't take much to him to put an end to one of them. For this he took a step in his direction, squeezing his eyelids.

Rainiel grabbed him by the arm. She knew that if she let him go, someone would've to find that bum's body the next morning. Provided it was possible to recognize it from what would remain of it.

Sephiroth glared at her, but she shook her head sternly.

"Forget it. It's not worth getting into trouble for so little." she let him know, before clearing his throat with a little cough.

«Now we'll go away.» she then announced, speaking this time in the direction of the drunkard. «And if you follow us, we'll call the police. We don't want trouble.» then continued.

«I'm not talking to you, honey.» the adult let the knife point to Sephiroth with the tip of the blade. «So what are you doing? Do you let your girlfriend defend you? Or maybe you don't feel well? I told you... _hic_... to give me those goddamn jewels.»

Sephiroth tried to recover with a deep breath. His SOLDIER training had been excellent and he had been taught how to react to various dangerous situations. Getting him seriously angry was difficult, so he subsided very quickly.

«You're right, Rain. It's not worth it.» he accepted, turning his back to the man and taking the girl's hand again to lead her away. If he had wanted to, all he had to do was turn around to prevent any attack. He wasn't worried in the least.

Not even Rainiel feared for her own safety: if she wanted to, she too would've been able to knock out that nuisance with a single well-aimed blow, but she didn't want to get her hands dirty at all. She was faced with an unfortunate citizen and a bit out of his mind, this did not grant her permission to harm him. Among other things, she didn't believe that the man was really aggressive as he intended to appear, maybe he was just bluffing.

«Huh? How smug...» he muttered then behind them.

Rainiel heard a quick footstep behind her as she followed Sephiroth who was pulling her out of the alley, probably back to the parking lot. She instinctively turned, just in time to see the drunk grab her wrist and twist it to pull her in her direction.

«You don't want to give me the jewels, you stingy idiot?So what if I take your girlfriend directly? She's so cute...»

Now it was Rainiel who had lost patience. She loaded all the strength of her body into one calf and bent to deliver a kick he wouldn't forget that easily, one not strong enough to kill him but that would at least change his mind.

When she kicked, however, she hit the void. Both of her arms were now free.

She had seen nothing but a silver lightning bolt past her, and out of the corner of her eye she could see what was happening.

Sephiroth had grabbed the drunkard by the throat, then lifted him off the ground with the strength of his arms and flung him against the wall. The bricks bent under the weight of the tremendous impact, and clearly the old man didn't just pass out by a miracle, but he certainly got a terrible headache, because he dropped the knife and for a few seconds he couldn't even react. A river of blood flowed down his head, neck and shoulders.

Sephiroth had acted so quickly that Rainiel didn't even notice, she just saw his cruel expression - which didn't look angry at all, but that was only more troubling, because he had the face of a killer right now - and his eyes shine with elongated pupils, more open than usual and fixed on those of the man who had dared to challenge him.

«Sephiroth!»

With a scream, Rainiel reached him and tried to touch his back to induce him to let go.

The drunkard coughed and finally managed to put his hands to his throat, trying in vain to free himself from his grip comparable to the grip of a trap. He wasn't breathing.

« _Do not dare to touch her_.» hissed the SOLDIER, in a tone of voice so serious and low it made even Rainiel's skin crawl, the one he was protecting.

Every shred of humanity disappeared from his eyes and for a second the girl remembered what she had read in Hojo's diary, and all those drawings of the alien creatures found on the planet years ago.

In that instant, Sephiroth looked much more like those monsters... like Jenova... than he usually did. His eyes gleamed furiously but his expression seemed impassive, although his lips were tightened. Worst of all... he showed no sign of letting go.

«Ghh... I can't br..»

The drunkard tried to speak with the little air left in his lungs, but the General's muscles tightened, just like his grip. At this rate he would've suffocated him, or worse still, he would've broken his neck as if it were an old wooden stake.

Rain clung tightly to one of his sleeves and raised her voice.

«Sephiroth, enough! Can't you see he's not breathing?» she tried to make him reason. She had no intention of defending that slimy old man who had attacked her for who knows what, but if she hadn't immediately blocked her superior the consequences would've been far more worrying than an attempted theft.

«Just as well.» he said, totally out of his mind. «People like him don't even deserve the air they breathe.»

He had never been so terrifying in his life, not in front of Rain. The girl was simply shocked. She kept tugging on his sleeve trying to get his attention as the man on the wall groaned and began to roll his eyes at lack of oxygen.

«Sephiroth, look at me!» she exclaimed then, unable to move him by a single millimeter.

After repeating that phrase a couple of times, the young man's frightening eyes shifted to hers.

Rainiel really feared she'd no longer recognize the man in front of her. What happened to the thoughtful Sephiroth from earlier, the one determined to have a quiet evening with her? Had he really become the war machine his father expected to see?

«You're going to _kill_ him.» she tried to tell him then, in a lower voice. She received no response, either verbal or visual. The young man didn't raise a single eyebrow.

Rain swallowed in concern. She had to do it. For the sake of all.

«Sephiroth, you're better than this. Don't do this... please. Don't kill him.»

She couldn't do anything else. She begged. She begged him and hoped he'd listen.

Sephiroth soon realized that he wasn't just terrorizing the man he had attacked. Rainiel was also scared. Rain was afraid of him. This wasn't what he wanted.

In a moment of greater clarity, he finally opened his hands and the man fell to the ground at his feet. He restrained himself from hitting him with a kick but appreciated the sight of that worm coughing worriedly a step away from his shoes, before slipping away yelping like a beaten dog. The drunkard disappeared around the corner and the two were alone again.

Rain still couldn't move. She didn't believe what she had just seen, what the great hero in front of her would be capable of doing for something that, in the end, she considered nonsense. It wasn't what she wanted... she didn't want him to kill for her. It wasn't the right thing to do.

Sephiroth pulled himself together and looked at his hands, then at the girl.

«Rain...»

He tried to touch her but, instinctively, the girl backed away. She didn't really intend to, her was a reflex caused by the fear of the moment, but seeing the girl escape his touch like that made him understand many things, and in the most bitter way possible.

He brought his arms to his sides again with clenched fists and took a deep breath, before turning to the other side and starting to walk again.

«Let's go home.» he cut it short, without expressing any emotion other than a deep bitterness, «Our walk is over.»

Rain tried not to tremble. She stood still for a while and looked around. The knife was still at her feet, but she wouldn't touch it. Slowly, she followed the SOLDIER's footsteps ahead of her, but she didn't say a word. She didn't know what had happened or what awaited her.

* * *

**Chapter 50**

**LASTING MEMORY**

The return journey by motorbike was silent, far too silent. Sephiroth didn't speak all the way and didn't bother to say a single word to Rain, noting however how this time she hadn't pressed too tightly to him to remain still during the journey. On the contrary, the girl looked frightened and trembled. The whole date had probably been screwed up by a drunk old man who'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

«I'll take you to your room.» he only proposed once the two got into the elevator, after leaving the bike and the parking lot.

Sephiroth hit the key corresponding to the second-class SOLDIER residence floor and then looked at Rain, but she didn't move or speak. She was pale and shocked.

The city moved slowly behind her as the elevator carried them higher and higher.

Clenching his lips, Sephiroth surrendered to the idea that perhaps the fault wasn't entirely of the drunkard they had met... perhaps it was also his. He was going to kill a man to defend her. His was a noble intention, but tainted by the anything but conventional methods he wanted to use. It was he who had terrified her, not the older man.

When the door opened, Rain walked silently out into the corridor and checked for a moment that the young General was following her, which she found with just one eye.

Sephiroth walked silently behind her, his hands in his pockets and a thoughtful air, but he came to think that Rainiel wanted him to leave. It was logical that she wished to remain alone, or at least away from him, after having witnessed such a scene.

The floor was mostly deserted, being Friday night, or rather late at night. Most of the young warriors were either on duty or enjoying the evening elsewhere, or were already sleeping in their rooms. Rain's wasn't very far away, so once they left the elevator it took them a little while to reach it.

The girl, however, stopped at the door without opening it.

Sephiroth glanced at her and sighed. It was time to leave.

«Rain...» he murmured, without changing his tone of voice. Pride was probably an inveterate trait of his, but it proved not entirely incorrigible the next moment, when he lowered his voice and took a step closer to her.

She bit her lip, but didn't move.

«I'm sorry...» he whispered then, almost not sounding even himself, «... for what I did. For what you saw. I wasn't myself.» he tried to explain himself, even if this went against any logic he had ever followed in life. He had never had to justify anything to anyone. Maybe, but... that was his problem. He wasn't used to apologizing. Rainiel's gaze had made him understand a lot about himself. As much as he tried to appear calm and patient... he remained what he had always been: a wild beast, an insensitive warrior who knew nothing but war and loneliness. Maybe that was why he was, in fact, alone? Was that why Genesis and Angeal had abandoned him, one after the other? Maybe they were right... and he was in the wrong.

«I know you can stand up for yourself. I know you are strong enough. But when I thought that that man could have hurt _you_ …» his sentence was suspended, incomplete.

He narrowed his eyes, turning them into two small openings. What was the point of explaining? Rainiel didn't have to excuse him. She was right to avoid him, it was for her own good.

«... Nevermind. Good night, Rain. It was a beautiful evening, at least for a while.» rather he finished, realizing that it was time to take his leave.

As he turned and walked away, however, a smaller hand grabbed his, without force. As if inviting him to stay.

The SOLDIER's clear eyes watched in surprise: Rainiel still facing the closed door but refusing to let him go.

«I know you did it to protect me.» the younger peeped, after letting go of a deep sigh. «And for that I thank you. You acted without hesitation... knowing that the man had bad intentions.»

Her fingers tightened around the General's hand, as if afraid to leave it. Only then did her blue eyes shift to him, bright and a little sad.

«I know you, Sephiroth. I know who you really are, I don't fear being wrong in saying it. And I know you're a good person.» she proceeded, this time turning to face him without her torso still facing the wall.

The SOLDIER felt suddenly lighter. He didn't expect such a reaction - neither his own, nor hers. He realized that her thoughts mattered a lot to him. Such a thing had never happened to him.

With an amused and bitter snort, he blew a question.

«Don't you trust me a little too much?»

«I trust you completely.»

This time it was Sephiroth to feel a strange emotion that slowly blossomed in his chest at heart level.

Rainiel wasn't smiling, she wasn't blushing, and she wasn't shaking. She was extremely serious in saying those words.

«And I want to keep doing it. Without you I wouldn't be here. Having met you was the greatest fortune of my life.» she explained, her eyes brighter and more excited. «So, just promise me one thing…» she asked before showing a more determined look than usual, «… that you won't hurt anyone unless necessary. Whether they're completely innocent people or not.»

Sephiroth opened his eyes a little wider on hearing that request. He hadn't expected to hear it, but was happy to have a second chance.

«I promise, on my honor as a SOLDIER.» he reassured her, lifting only one edge of his lips.

«Good. Then I'll forget what happened a little while ago. Also because I'd like to remember the evening with a different image.» she murmured, a little more nervous.

Sephiroth saw her fidget a little, so he moved closer to her and inspected her face as best he could.

«Yes? And what image are you thinking of?» he asked in a vaguely provocative tone of voice. One that made the girl's legs tremble with emotion.

Sephiroth was irresistible. His way of speaking, of moving, of behaving... his personality, his appearance, his character. There wasn't a single thing about him that Rain didn't adore or admire, everything conquered and attracted her. Now more than ever, she felt she had to remedy to that mistake that would otherwise have ruined everything. And she had no intention of ruining such a beautiful date.

«I... was thinking about this.»

Rain let a hand adhere to his chest, breathing deeply to prevent the necessary audacity from leaving her. She didn't want to miss that opportunity too, not now that she was ready to take it.

Sephiroth, too, unconsciously hoped she didn't retire just now.

The girl's hand followed the folds of his tight red shirt and reached for the tie, pulling it down.

Sephiroth could only bow his head. Frankly, he didn't mind the difference in height between him and Rain. Even in heels, she looked like a little girl compared to him.

As she tilted her head and squinted, he put his arm around her waist and brought his other hand to her face, waiting. In turn, she lowered her lashes over her eyes, widening her smile.

Rainiel's lips brushed his as she inhaled the delicious scent of his hair, intoxicating and captivating.

The General was pleased to know that he was forgiven in such a short time. He, too, wasn't about to miss another opportunity.

As he stroked her cheek gently, he whispered a short question over her mouth.

«Is this what you want, Rain?»

Hearing her name called that way, from his low, hoarse voice, was like being called to heaven for her.

«Yes, absolutely yes.»

She prayed he wouldn't keep her waiting any longer. The wait was killing her. She feared that someone else would interrupt them for the umpteenth time, but this time she'd be able to get to her goal at the cost of being caught by anyone in the act.

Sephiroth's hand reached the back of her neck, pushing her face closer to his.

«Great, because I wanted to do this the entire night.»

Finally, he pulled Rainiel out of that torture. With his right hand he let the girl's belly collide with his own, squeezing her passionately but never insistent. He finally put his lips on hers and separating them asked her permission to deepen that kiss that both of them had been waiting for since Rain had opened the door a moment before going to change clothes, although probably neither of them really knew.

Of course, Rainiel didn't dare push him away. She was overwhelmed by emotions she had never felt before, real electric shocks that gave her the sensation of lifting herself off the ground for a moment. The shiver that ran down her back led her to arch it so that it bent perfectly in relation to that of the General, who was holding her without fear and with desire.

Rain didn't even bother to catch her breath or reopen her eyes, lifting herself up on tiptoe to facilitate the movement that now seemed so natural to her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and ran a hand through his perfectly manicured hair, which usually bothered him, but this time made him emit a low, scratched gasp of pleasure right between the girl's lips.

This drove Rain crazy, so she put aside all shyness to cling to him.

Only after an incalculable number of seconds, she felt the need to interrupt the kiss to get some fresh air, among other things a bit breathless.

Sephiroth smiled inches from her face and went back to drawing small circles with a thumb on her red cheek.

«Who would have thought...?» he breathed with satisfaction, without taking his eyes off hers.

He was right: neither of them, years ago, would've expected their relationship to come to such a point. They had gone from being mere strangers, a hero and his fan, to becoming mentor and pupil. And now... now they had taken a step forward, consciously, and it had been more beautiful than ever.

For a moment, Sephiroth tried to get closer to meet her lips again, but he shivered just a second before he could, as if something had interrupted him. That moment of hesitation lasted very little and, soon after, the man diverted his trajectory and gently kissed Rainiel's cheek, on one extreme edge of her smile.

Now it was really time to go.

«Sweet dreams, Rain...» he whispered in her ear, before caressing her chin and letting go of her side, walking away.

Rainiel seemed immersed in another world, with a lost smile on her face. Letting him go was almost painful, but the idea that she'd probably see him again the next morning heartened her.

«Goodnight... and thank you for everything...» she stammered dazedly, albeit pleasantly.

Sephiroth thought she was adorable. He gave her one last smile and turned, crossing the hall and leaving her alone at the door of her room.

Rainiel probably didn't enter until another minute passed, and when she realized she was standing still in the middle of the hall, she hurried to find the keys in her bag and go inside. She didn't go immediately to change and remove make-up, however, letting herself slide to sit on the ground in front of the door. Still incredulous, she touched her lips with two fingers and squeezed them, feeling again and for a fleeting moment the sensation of those of her mentor leaning on them, kissing them skillfully and transporting her to a completely different world.

Her heart was still beating wildly, with emotion and feeling. She hoped with all herself that that sweet dream would never end.


	17. Every part of him / That name / Bitter disappointment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the date, Sephiroth discovers something about his past that Rainiel never told him. Something not good is going to happen...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 51: Every part of him  
> • Chapter 52: That name  
> • Chapter 53: Bitter disappointment
> 
> Also, sorry for my inactivity. I'll try to post the translated chapters more often. And happy new year!

* * *

**Chapter 51**

**EVERY PART OF HIM**

Rainiel was awakened by an insistent sound coming from the door. Someone was ringing the bell very, very insistently.

The girl pulled herself up from the covers and looked at herself in the mirror: she thought her hair was matted and her face puffy from sleep, but that morning she found herself strangely beautiful and tidy. Was it because of her smile that she had painted on her face from the exact moment she opened her eyes?

She went to open the door anyway, hoping that it was that particular someone she had done nothing but think about and had even dreamed of that night, but instead she found herself in front of the enthusiastic faces of Vaneja and Zack, who invaded her home without need of an invitation.

In less than five minutes, the three of them were seated at Rain's kitchen table, and she hadn't abandoned that little smile of hers even for a moment. Cloud hadn't shown up since he was on a mission, but Zack would take care of telling him everything.

«Sooo?» the latter asked, tapping his fingers on the table.

Rain clearly had her head elsewhere. She almost nearly poured the hot milk from the saucepan out of the cup.

«... Mh? So what?» she asked him much more calmly than usual.

Vaneja opened her mouth and gestured agitatedly.

«The date, honey! How did it go? Where did it take you? What happened? How was it?»

«Oh, the date!»

Rain remembered and sat down with a sigh.

Her ways worried the two friends, who exchanged suspicious glances.

«It was great. He took me by motorbike to the Loveless Restaurant, we had an entire terrace just to ourselves. There was a breathtaking view…» she said, as if she had actually gazed at the view for even more than a minute instead of focusing on Sephiroth.

«Loveless Restaurant ?!» the two shouted in chorus, almost falling off their chair, as she sipped a cup of hot milk over her breakfast.

«Beautiful, romantic and also rich. Rainiel got the best man, so insolent.» Van pretended to complain, fanning herself with one hand.

«What about the rest?»

«Well, then...»

The memory of what happened in the alley the night before tormented her for a moment, but Rain let it go. She had already put that story aside, it made no sense to talk about it.

«... then he took me back to my room.»

Vaneja jumped up and ran to the bedroom.

Rain raised an eyebrow.

«What the heck are you doing, Van?» she asked in a tone of voice that wasn't at all surprised.

«What do you think? I'll check if he's still here!» she heard her scream from the other side.

Rainiel wasn't offended this time but, on the contrary, she laughed amused.

Zack realized that something was absolutely wrong. His best friend had changed suddenly from one night to the next.

«Absurd... is this really you or just a hologram?» the boy felt his forehead in amazement as Vaneja returned to the table and sat down with a snort.

«I'm not buying this, Rain. Something must have happened judging by that stupid smile of yours.» she grumbled then, crossing her arms.

Rain lowered her eyebrows.

«I'll pretend I haven't heard the part about the stupid smile.»

«And I'll pretend I'm not anxious because you're not telling us a huge detail!» she retorted.

Rainiel sighed and leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs.

«Should I really tell you? You are my most gossipy friends. You wouldn't know how to keep such a secret.» she jokingly offended them, taking the opportunity to carry out a little personal revenge on both of them.

Zack showed a pleading dog expression. Angeal was right to call him a puppy years ago.

«Come on, Rain! I'm your best friend! Do you think I'd ever do anything like that to you?» he blinked quickly at her, squeezing his hands and praying.

Van imitated him, but didn't speak.

Rain rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

«Are we sure that if I tell you, the whole Shinra HQ won't know by tonight?»

«Very sure.» they replied in chorus, waiting.

Rainiel laughed and shook her head.

«Okay, but only because it's you. So. Sephiroth and I...»

«Did you kiss?!» Vaneja shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Rain glared at her.

«Thanks for taking me away the satisfaction of telling you, but yes, that's what happened. I guess.»

«Wait, what ?! Are you serious?» Van hyperventilated, «Mine was a guess! Oh my goodness!»

«Could you... lower your voice?» Rain begged softly, hitting her forehead.

Meanwhile, she felt a strong embrace.

Zack was practically crushing her and his voice was cut with emotion.

«My little Rain... what progress... I've always hoped for it!» he pretended to cry but it was clear he was really over the moon for her.

Rain felt happy enough to hug him back.

«I didn't think I'd ever say that, but... you were right, airhead.» she sighed in defeat, but happy.

Vaneja shook her hands tremulously.

«So you and the General are now a couple?!»

The reddish-haired girl was silent for a moment, puzzled.

«Oh… um, I hadn't thought of that, actually. I don't think so... at least for now. It was just a date, in the end, wasn't it?»

«Yes, but from the way you smile this morning I guess the date ended in fireworks.»

«It was just a k-...! Look, I don't really know what to answer. I... I have feelings for him, that's the only thing I'm sure of. Something I've never felt for anyone else before.»

The three settled around the table again and Rain continued.

«I don't know if he'll want to go on… to make a decision with me, I really don't know. I only know that... if he were to propose it, I'd answer yes without thinking twice.» she admitted, more to herself than to them.

Was she really ready for that step? To start a relationship, and with him? Maybe, in retrospect, she was running too fast. She'd already said it: it was just a date, just a kiss. Sephiroth had probably done these things dozens of times before with other women, and not all of them had been successful. Should she have asked him for another date? Or maybe to talk privately?

The very thought of being alone with him again cut her breath. The feeling she gave her every single part of him was inexplicable and priceless.

Zack rubbed his chin, amazed.

«Damn… you're really serious, Rain. I think you should tell him about it.» he proposed.

She almost choked on her milk as she listened to him. She put down her cup and realized that her breakfast ended there.

«Talk to him... about a possible future together?» she coughed hard.

She tried to picture herself as part of a lasting couple... with him. How would their story, their coexistence, their feelings grow or change? The very thought of her made her head spin.

«I'd be more than happy but... I don't want to run too much. Sephiroth is a busy, important man... and just think about what will be said around here...»

«For example, that you two run around on this floor hand in hand and disappear together in the elevator?» Zack asked with a grin.

Rain blushed.

«How do you know this?»

«Oh, just gossip… you see, you should get used to it. It's a small price to pay to get what you want most.» he explained, trying to get her used to the idea.

Rainiel sighed. Zack wasn't all wrong. She wanted Sephiroth, she hoped to build a real relationship with him that went well beyond their profession. She just needed to get used to the idea that, when you want a person, you have to want every part of him, for better or for worse.

"I already desire every part of him." she told herself, answering her doubt.

Yes, she probably would pay that small price in the name of her feelings for him.

«All right... I'll talk to him. But not directly.» she hastened to say, blowing air out of her nostrils, a little flustered. «And I won't force him into anything. Whether he wants to speed things up or proceed with caution, I'll be understanding and respect your choice. First of all, however...»

She looked at a window. A fine drizzle that day wet the streets and the skyscraper.

«... I really need to see him again.» she smiled innocently.

Rainiel was living a dream. She thought she had finally filled the void that for some time had made her suffer in silence. Or rather, she had found the missing part of herself she had been looking for all her life.

In fact, she couldn't expect what would happen later that same day. Neither she could imagine what the real topic of her future discussion with Sephiroth would be...

* * *

**Chapter 52**

**THAT NAME**

Sephiroth had just finished handling duties on the upper floors of the Shinra. He had woken up quite early that morning and had slept little. He then thought of stopping by a public area bar on the first-class simulator floor, so that he could have a coffee and recover his energy, although he could still go on for hours. He had no other plans for the afternoon, other than his usual training with Rainiel, but he really thought he would skip that day. What he wanted most at the moment was to visit her in her room as soon as possible. It was for this reason that, while he was walking towards the shop, he took out his cell phone from his pocket and looked for the girl's name among those saved.

He sent her a message.

"Good morning. I'd like to drop by later to spend some time together. I guess that's okay, but call me in case of any emergency anyway."

Without even rereading, he sent the message. He too, like Rainiel, had felt different that morning. When it happened between them the night before had had a big impact on both of them and this had made even him, the stiff General of SOLDIER, more cheerful and patient that morning, as many of his underlings had noticed.

When the phone vibrated, he hurried to check the screen.

"No problem. I'll wait for you. To be honest I can't wait to see you..."

That message made him smile. This curious side of Rain was a whole new surprise for him. She was sometimes bold and brave, other times shy and awkward. She had shown him both sides of her the night before, and he still couldn't figure out which one he preferred more. In any case, it was generally Rainiel, the only woman who had ever had this effect on him in a lifetime. She was different from the others, in a way he couldn't explain. It was as if she had been created to perfectly match his person. If it hadn't been for her, he would've killed the poor fellow the night before in a fit of annoyance and cold rage. Instead, not only had she spared him serious consequences, she had also forgiven him for what happened. And the indelible memory created the night before was still vivid in the memory and hearts of both. Sephiroth was eager to create more as soon as possible. He'd finish the last few assignments quickly and join her soon after.

While he still held the phone in front of his face, he noticed someone sitting at the table right in front of him. Sephiroth had yet to order his breakfast, but he didn't move as he recognized familiar signs in the young man who had just taken over. As he put down the phone, he found a hand dangling next to a smiling face and two large clear eyes three feet away.

«Zack. Good morning.» he greeted then, putting the phone away in his pocket to look curiously at the first-class colleague who smiled slyly.

«Good morning to you, Sephiroth! Do I disturb you?»

«What's the difference? Even if I said yes, you wouldn't leave me alone. Not when you have that look on your face.»

Zack let out a laugh and scratched his head, guilty.

«Damn... am I that predictable?»

«A little. You should work on it or it could cause you problems in battle, too.»

The younger shrugged, being able only to agree with him.

«Did you go somewhere? I saw you walking with your head in the clouds, as you arrived here.»

Apparently Sephiroth hadn't even noticed him in the midst of all those people.

«I just wanted to order a coffee.»

Zack raised an eyebrow.

«And how long have you been drinking coffee?»

«Since this morning. Are you done with the questions?»

Sephiroth sighed and realized that, in reality, he wouldn't get rid of him that easily.

«What if I said no?»

«I wouldn't be surprised.»

«Great! Then no, I'm not done.»

Just as he imagined. All that remained was to be patient and find out what he wanted from him, after which he'd let him go. Every minute he spent was a little less time that he could've spent elsewhere, in a specific place.

«What is it you want, Zack? I'm in a hurry.»

«I just wanted to know…» he whistled innocently, «How's it going with Rain? I heard that yesterday... you two went out together.»

The General held back a strong sigh. He was Rainiel's best friend. Logical that he knew.

«Why don't you ask her?» he avoided answering, but shortly after he regretted telling him.

From the boy's insinuating gaze he discovered that there was something he hadn't yet revealed to him.

«… Ignore what I said. I guess you've already asked her.»

«I may have done it… yeah. In fact, maybe I'm back from her room right now.» the boy admitted, emulating an innocent tone of voice and a small whistle.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyelids.

«So?»

«Do you want to know what she told me?»

«There's no need for me to ask you. I know how much she trusts you... and that sometimes she dies to tell you so many things.»

«To speak in her favor... I actually forced her a little to tell me what happened on your return last night. My fault.»

Typical. Nothing the General didn't know already.

«Then I don't need to add anything else.» he concluded, getting up to order the coffee he had been waiting for several minutes now. He was really wasting his time chatting.

Zack, however, raised his voice.

«Wait! Wait!» he tried to stop it, gaining a few more seconds of time. «Well, actually I... I was looking for you to talk to you about this. You already know that Rain is my best friend, I consider her a real sister. Things have been falling apart for her lately and she has had to go through some really tough times.» he explained as the major sat down again, convinced that he wouldn't let him go until he had told him everything.

«What's the point?» he tried to prod him. Now he was starting to really intrigue him. He didn't understand what he meant.

«I just wanted to thank you for everything you are doing for her, and have always done. Rainiel has always had a deep admiration for you and meeting you was a dream come true. Among other things, you managed to give her what no one else has been able to give her...»

«That means?»

«Trust. Hope...» Amicably, he shocked his fingers in his direction,«... and a good dose of love, if I may!»

Sephiroth crossed his arms.

Love? Was that what he should've called the feeling he had towards her? Something so strong and intense... enough to tear him away from his dark solitude as ever. Perhaps that was how that emotion unknown to him was defined.

«What I mean is that I think you saved her. She has a really heavy head for now.» Zack looked around and lowered his voice, «You know... with these projects... Yoshua, Jenova... the truth about her origins, what happened in Dar-»

Sephiroth's eyes suddenly widened, as if an arrow had just pierced him in the chest.

«What did you just say?» he cut him off, hearing something incredibly familiar as he spoke to him. Something he couldn't have mistakenly understood.

Zack noticed his expression suddenly change, turn cold, and shivered.

«The... truth about her origins...»

«Before.» he insisted, much less gently. «That last name you said. What was?»

Zack thought and went over his speech backwards.

«Oh... Jenova?»

Again, Sephiroth felt himself go cold. It was impossible… impossible for him to know.

«How do you know that name?» he asked him indeed. He seemed to have completely changed his appearance and personality.

«Rain told me about it. It's the name of one of the two projects conducted by Hojo. The one that led to the birth of a mysterious Subject S.» he summed up quickly, before looking at him dazed. «She… She told me she told you everything. Did she forget to mention it?»

«I very much doubt she forgot to mention my mother's name.» he retorted, practically speaking to himself, but still managing to leave Zack speechless.

«Your mother...?» he whispered confused but, through a brief reasoning, he came to a conclusion. That Subject S... so that was...!

«I have to go.»

Sephiroth put his hands on the table and got up, quickly forgetting his coffee and sleep. He'd rest later. Perhaps.

With great strides, he crossed the bar with a specific destination in mind. He felt his blood boil in his veins. He realized that someone was keeping him in the dark about something.

«Sephiroth?! Where are you going?!» Zack asked from the table, realizing it was better not to follow him anyway.

«Haven't you figured it out yet?» he replied, advancing menacingly in his SOLDIER uniform with the long black jacket and heavy belts, «I'm paying a visit to Rainiel.»

* * *

**Chapter 53**

**BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT**

Rainiel had just finished tidying up the home library when she heard a knock on the door. Quick as lightning, she undid the little cleaning apron she had tied around her waist and she ran to the hall, anxious, imagining it was Sephiroth.

She was so eager to see him... to talk to him. To see what would happen.

So when she opened the door and found him standing in front of her, with his arms folded and his eyelids down, she couldn't hide an excited smile at all.

Vaneja and Zack had left her room at least an hour ago. There was no one else with them.

«Good morning!» she almost sang, hiding her hands behind her back. «You said you were going to drop by, but I didn't expect you so soon. How are you?» she continued afterwards, but without success.

Sephiroth opened his eyes, and although it was possible to notice a spark of hesitation crossing his teal irises, he managed to seem in a bad mood. The worst part was that he really was.

«Can I come in?» he asked straight, ignoring anything Rain had just said to him.

Certainly she didn't expect what his intentions were and that is why she seemed a bit startled by his austere tone and hasty expression.

She stepped aside without answering, letting him enter and then closing the door.

Rain had a terrible feeling about this visit. She felt that something had happened.

«Sephiroth, are you all right?» she asked trying to reach him and touch his arm, perhaps to take his hand.

He evaded her touch as if he didn't want to be disturbed or didn't trust her, before turning to look at her.

He found himself in front of a bewildered and worried Rain. She didn't understand what was happening.

«You told Zack about your origins.» he said as directly as possible, in a tone that sounded more like an accusation than a statement.

«Yes… I thought you knew. I told everything to you and him. What's the problem?» she replied timidly, looking up at him with her eyebrows raised and her voice distressed.

«The problem,» Sephiroth's voice deepened for a second, but he'd never, ever yell at her. Holding back, he narrowed his eyes and continued talking, «It's just that you told him everything, but not me.» he ended in a hiss.

Rainiel shivered.

«What are you talking about?» she asked, but it was nothing more than an attempt to stall. She actually knew very well what Sephiroth was alluding to. The only problem was that it was too late to find a way to explain without the truth turning out to be a hidden secret, which it really was.

«I'm talking about the Jenova Project.» indeed he answered, taking another step towards her. He seemed eager to hear more. «Jenova... is my mother's name. What are you hiding from me, Rainiel?» he asked her.

For a moment, his voice even seemed to grow higher. A hint of desperation inevitably stained him.

Rainiel understood well why he was so upset: Sephiroth knew nothing of his mother, or at least of his parents in general. He had been raised with the belief that Jenova was the name of the woman who brought him into the world... but it wasn't. Rain didn't even know where to start.

She shivered visibly, and wrapped a hand around her arm, starting to look at indefinite spots on the floor for the right words.

«I never wanted to hide anything from you, Sephiroth. I was going to tell you, I swear. I was just waiting for the right moment.» she tried to justify, but she couldn't even convince herself.

It was those very words that had the weight of a dagger, one that stuck in the back of the General with long silver hair, wounding him more than any other weapon in the world.

«What were you going to tell me?» she kept asking, unable to put it all aside now that he was so close to the truth, «What do you know about Jenova? How is she related to your birth?» he wanted to know. He was demanding an answer. Immediately.

Rain began to show signs of high agitation.

«In many ways, I guess...» she muttered before raising her voice and trying to look him in his eyes. «Remember when I told you about Yoshua? About the creature I was made from in the laboratory?»

«Obviously.»

«Yoshua... isn't the only creature found on our planet.» she could only tell him, trying to find the right words. She saw reflected in his gaze the same emotions she had felt in discovering her true origins. Confusion, pain, anger. And disappointment.

«Explain yourself better.»

«Two thousand years ago, an alien creature threatened the planet and the humans who inhabited it. It was only found a few decades ago by Shinra scientists» she gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to look away. She had to face the problem. «When she was taken to the laboratories, she was given the name of Jenova. But she is not your mother, Sephiroth.» she tried to make it clear.

Only then did she understand how her parents must've felt when she revealed to them that she had discovered everything. She hadn't even allowed them to explain themselves properly. She hoped Sephiroth was more understanding than she was.

«Many experiments were conducted on her, and the project branched out into two distinct parts, two attempts by different scientists.»

«Attempts?»

Attempts to do what? was surely the question he wanted to ask, but Rain didn't have the heart to answer him.

She couldn't tell him that, in the end, Shinra was trying to create the perfect monster by playing with the lives of innocent children.

Sephiroth realized she wouldn't say anything about it, and changed his question.

«What kind of ramifications?»

«Jenova Project G and S. I don't really know much about the first one. But Jenova Project S...»

«S?» Sephiroth wondered. Was it just a coincidence, the one he was thinking about?

«... it was led by Professor Hojo over twenty years ago. He wanted to excel and prove that he was better than the other scientists who had failed before him. And so... he created Subject S from Jenova's cells.» she revealed then, before lifting an arm towards him.

Even Sephiroth's gaze, for a moment, wavered. He had never seemed more vulnerable and surprised before. He was simply shocked. He shook his head a single time, as if he didn't want to believe it.

«... Me.» however, he drew that banal conclusion.

Rainiel bit her lip and nodded, sighing hard.

«I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want you to think what I thought when I learned of my true nature. I know what you might think now... but you don't have to let yourself go to certain hypotheses or they'll devour you.» she tried to tell him then.

She really cared a lot about the young man and didn't want, for nothing in the world, to know him sad or disheartened for the same reason that had dragged her to the abyss of despair.

Sephiroth raised his eyebrows, coughing up a bitter laugh.

«You didn't want me to think I was a monster, Rainiel?» he used her own words, «Is that why you thought it was a good idea to deprive me of the right to know the truth I've sought for all my life?» he accused her.

Rainiel could only lower her head, guilty, and remained silent. She didn't even know how to justify heeself or, rather, she couldn't. She was wrong.

Sephiroth turned his back to her and began to move around the room, immersed in who knows what thoughts.

«I've always known I was different.» he murmured then, all of a sudden, «I've never been like anyone else. I have always felt a sense of emptiness, of not belonging. An existential doubt...»

He put a hand to his temple, gritting his teeth and his eyes, «But I didn't think that was the reason. I never could have thought that...»

Even he could not continue the sentence. Perhaps in that moment he understood how Rain really felt after that shocking discovery.

«Am I... a human being?» he asked to no one. «Or a monster?»

The sense of emptiness he felt, however, didn't diminish. On the contrary, it only expanded. He had answered one question, but now he had many more. Truth to reveal ... painful, merciless.

His heart hardened like cold stone. He had lost a part of himself in that moment.

«You are SOLDIER first-class Sephiroth.» she replied, trying to reach him. She raised a hand to rest it on his shoulder but she regretted it. He probably didn't even want to see her face, let alone be touched. «... That is to say one of the most kind and caring people I know.»

«Save the speech.» he cut her short, looking back at her. His gaze was dark and bitter.

He walked across the room to the door, waiting before exiting.

«I know there's more you haven't told me yet, but I'll find out for myself.» he announced, giving her one last look over his shoulder. One that seemed to judge her in silence and who burned her more than the most dangerous of fires.

«I really trusted you too, Rainiel.» he announced her, in a tone more muffled than furious, «But you've betrayed that trust. I was hoping you were different from other people I've known in my life, but I was wrong. You're exactly like them.» he lowered the lids over his eyes.

Rainiel parted her lips, feeling nothing but a hole in her chest. Her head caught fire.

«Sephiroth... wait, please...!»

«You have deeply disappointed me.»

A moment later, he opened the door. He hesitated before leaving, but it was only a matter of seconds.

«Farewell, Rain.» he greeted her coldly before stepping out into the hall and closing the door.

The girl was left alone, breathless and speechless. She still didn't understand what had actually happened but, when she did, she fell to her knees on the floor, not even having the strength to follow him. What sense would it have made, then? Sephiroth had made it clear enough. He most likely didn't want to see her face again.

Salty tears soon wet her cheeks when she realized she was wrong. That mistake had cost her everything.

It had cost her every ounce of the happiness she had managed to find.

A single mistake had taken away from her the man she was beginning to love.

No defeat would ever be as painful and bitter as that. Neither then, nor ever.


	18. Burden of mistakes / Perfect monster / The seventh day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever since Sephiroth discovered the truth about his past, it seems he has cut Rainiel out of his life. The girl will try to apologize and, above all, to reason with him. She may be the only one who can stop him before he becomes the perfect monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 54: Burden of mistakes;  
> • Chapter 55: Perfect monster;  
> • Chapter 56: The seventh day.

* * *

**Chapter 54**

**BURDEN OF MISTAKES**

The following two days were heartbreaking in every respect. Rainiel thought she had plunged back into the abyss that she feared so much and that she had struggled to leave behind her. Without Sephiroth, everything was different.

She no longer felt like smiling, practicing, going out. When she thought back to what happened three days ago, she imagined that those memories belonged to a past life. Their date, the good times they shared... maybe it was too good to be real.

The day before they were tight in each other's arms... the next he had probably started hating her. All because Rainiel had tried to keep a secret for his sake, not realizing that she had made the wrong choice.

Sephiroth was her other half, a side of the same coin, much like Angeal and Genesis from Project G were, but there was something more between her and the General. Or at least, it had been for some time.

Rainiel hadn't heard from him for two days. From the exact moment Sephiroth closed that door behind him, he seemed to have cut her out of his life once and for all. Rain suffered every moment that passed with the knowledge that perhaps she'd never be forgiven for what she had done.

She had talked to Zack, who explained to her about Sephiroth's strange behavior upon hearing of Jenova, the alien creature he thought was his mother, but Rain didn't find it right to blame him. She after all had only spoken to him to thank him for being beside her, he couldn't know what'd happen.

However, Rainiel just couldn't keep it up. Every text or phone call to the General was ignored, but it was as if his cell phone had been turned off the whole time. Something was wrong.

Rain tried to step into his shoes to reason as he would.

The philosophy of "What would Sephiroth do in this case?" came in very handy. By now she had gotten good at trying to imitate him, since she had been doing it all her life. So, on the evening of the second day, she believed she understood where Sephiroth might be. The only problem would've been getting there... but maybe there was a key.

After having settled down, given the ugly and scruffy appearance of her -now known typical of her moments of difficulty- she left the room and took the elevator to reach the office floor. She was supposed to visit a dear friend.

In a matter of minutes she was in front of the right door, and she knocked on it.

Jadin opened the door for her and was stunned to notice her dark circles and her eyes red from crying. She looked tired in every possible way and was clearly devastated.

«Rainiel?!» she then exclaimed, worried.

«I need a favor.» the other girl explained. Now their discussions always started like this.

This time, however, Jadin figured it was something less dangerous but just as important.

«Come in. Tell me everything.» she invited her then.

Five minutes later Rain had told Jadin roughly what had happened, avoiding talking about the projects conducted by Hojo and masking what happened as a resounding argument following the date.

Jadin believed her and Rain felt bad about it: she hated lying and keeping secrets. She had done this too many times in the past, and where had her actions taken her if not to where she was now?

«I can't contact Sephiroth.» she then revealed her, rubbing her forehead. «I need to talk to him. I have to apologize. But I couldn't find him. I don't even know where he is at the moment.»

That he had taken a vacation was ruled out. Sephiroth was a man very attached to his duty and employment, he'd hardly have left Shinra just to release the tension a bit. No... he had to still be at the headquarters. She couldn't find a better explanation.

Jadin laced her fingers together and rolled her eyes, as if she knew an uncomfortable truth.

Rain didn't let that glimmer of guilt escape.

«Wait... you know something about it, don't you?» she asked, sitting up in a stiffer posture than before. She put her hand on her knee and gave her a needy look. «Jadin, if you know anything, you have to tell me. Please. I need to correct a mistake I made. It's important to me.» she tried to convince her.

The thin-eyed scientist adjusted her glasses and sighed.

«I guess it's not top secret information so I'll tell you...» she finally agreed, «Two days ago Sephiroth was here. I was on duty, so he turned to me.»

«He was here?!»

Rain worried about her tone of voice. It probably had just shook the walls.

She cleared her throat and turned the volume down.

«He turned to you for what?»

«He said he needed access to the scientific archive. Normally I wouldn't let anyone in, but he's the General of SOLDIER... and he also looked pretty angry. What on Gaia have you done so worrying to make him so annoyed?» she asked shocked.

Rain looked down.

«I… disappointed him. And he's right to be angry.»

A moment later she clenched her fists.

«But I want to fix that. I want to be completely honest with him. So tell me what you know, please.»

Jadin scratched her neck, undecided.

«Okay… as far as I know he hasn't left the archives even once. He's been there since he first walked in.»

«What?! Did he stay there for two days?»

«I don't know what's so interesting for someone like him in there. I didn't expect him to be keen on science.» Jadin shrugged, not knowing much about it, «Anyway, that's right. I guess he's still there. The doors are locked from the inside, but I have a copy of the key... luckily.»

Rainiel felt the blood run cold in her veins.

Was Sephiroth going crazy? He had spent over forty-eight hours rummaging through the scientific archives of Shinra's projects. Knowing him, he probably had already managed to put his hand on notes and confidential files. For sure... he had already learned a lot about the Jenova Project.

However, the idea that he had neither eaten nor slept for so long made her skin crawl. What had she done? Had she really destroyed his mind?

Determined, Rain reached out a hand to her friend.

«I need that key.»

«But-»

«I'll bring it back to you later, I promise. For now, what matters is that I can get into the archives to talk to him.»

Her gaze was pleading. Rain was truly desperate. She wanted, more than anything else in the world, to remedy to what she had caused.

This time Jadin managed to understand. With a heavy, compliant breath, she stood up and walked to a drawer on her desk. After rummaging through it for a while, she picked up a key card and handed it to Rain.

«I don't know what exactly is happening, Rainiel...» Jadin said immediately afterwards, «But I know that you're obviously upset. If this can help you recover, then I wish you the best of luck.»

The red-haired SOLDIER finally managed to smile and, overwhelmed by gratitude, she hugged her friend affectionately.

«Thanks, Jadin. You have no idea how much you help me.»

In fact, if it weren't for her, she wouldn't have discovered anything. It was a miracle to have her as a friend, as she always managed to help her and never complained. Rainiel hoped she could pay off the debt to her someday.

For now, however, she had another mission to accomplish.

Once she left Jadin's office, she walked to the large metal door that led to the science archives. If anyone saw her there, she'd probably be in trouble. This, however, didn't matter.

Without hesitating for a second, she let the key slide into the magnetic reader and heard the comfortable sound of the door opening.

She hoped there was still time to remedy... and prevent a catastrophe.

* * *

**Chapter 55**

**PERFECT MONSTER**

The archives were unusually cold, or perhaps it was Rainiel who was shaking uncontrollably. Already after hearing the gate close behind her, she noticed that something was wrong: large piles of books were piled next to the shelves, some in a scruffy way, as if someone had thrown them away in a rush of anger.

Rainiel just had to follow that trail of chaos to reach the goal she hoped for.

Down a flight of steps, she finally found herself in the middle of what looked like a library, rather than a veritable archive of reports and files on secret projects and experiments conducted by the power company she herself worked for.

She began to move cautiously between the shelves and bookcases, shrugging her shoulders. He had to be there. The very thought of seeing him again gave her a little semblance of happiness, but it was only a faint flame against which an icy wind blew. She still hadn't thought about what she'd tell him, how she'd justify herself. All she cared about was making sure he was okay... but she hoped she could fix everything too.

She was about to reach the last shelves when, walking, she saw a silver shadow out of the corner of her eye. She stopped abruptly and, with her heart pounding, turned her attention to the small corridor created between the two bookcases.

Sephiroth was there, standing and motionless as a stone statue guarding an old manor, a dusty tome in his hands, the pages faintly yellowed, and his head bowed. He hadn't noticed Rain, he was so immersed in that reading, and certainly wasn't spending his time there looking for some novel.

Rainiel expected to meet the usual Sephiroth of all time, that impassive and always courageous man, looking a bit haughty and arrogant, but that no longer seemed even him.

He was clearly tired... and sad. His half-closed eyes were forced to continue reading, surrounded by slight dark circles. Even the strongest and most powerful of the SOLDIERS needed sleep, but it seemed Sephiroth had been standing there for days. His lips were pursed and his eyebrows creased in a more compliant expression than anyone would've expected to see on his face.

Rainiel felt her heart buckle at that sight, the last one she would've expected to see.

«Sephiroth...!» she uttered in a broken voice, but without moving.

The man hadn't noticed her and was so busy that, in addition to suddenly changing expression, he also held back a gasp. When his eyes rested on Rain's, they went from looking surprised and confused - evidently he wasn't expecting to be interrupted and, of course, she was the last person in the world he thought he'd meet right now - to becoming cold. And wary.

«Rain...» he indeed replied as a first instinct, before remembering that the only reason why they were both there at that moment was that she had kept a very important secret from him, «What are you doing here? You're not allowed to enter.» he finally concluded.

He closed the book after remembering the page, and watched as she approached him, not pleased at all. There was a veiled note of pure and deep melancholy in his annoyed expression.

«Neither are you, right? But we're both good at getting around the rules, if it's for a good reason.» she answered promptly, stopping about two meters from him. Such a distance seemed to her unimaginable after what had happened in the last week.

Sephiroth didn't even react, letting his arms dangle at his sides.

«Why are you here?» he asked again.

«I was looking for you. And when I learned that you had been locked up in the archives for over two days…» Rain shivered and looked down for a moment, «Sephiroth, why are you doing this?»

«Why?» he repeated, in an almost amused but actually very bitter tone, echoing her. «I thought I was pretty clear about it.»

«I understand that you want to know more about your past, your origins… but this…» Rain spread her arms, speaking pleadingly, «this is not the right way. Shut yourself up here and just let yourself be obsessed with all these documents? I bet you haven't slept a wink yet.»

Sephiroth set the book abruptly on the shelf and then spoke again, irritated.

«I never would've come to this if you had told me everything as soon as you found out. I wanted to help you... but you categorically refused to help me. Now do you think I believe your thoughtful little charade?» he blamed her heavily, causing her to miss a beat.

It hurt very, very badly. She would hardly have endured those words if spoken by a stranger. But hearing them uttered by him... it was a terrible and slow agony.

«It's not a charade! I really do care about you, Sephiroth. Please let me fix my mistakes. Let me help you.» she tried to change his mind.

She instinctively approached him and placed a hand on his arm. To finally feel that slightest contact, after more than two days... it was like waking up from a bad nightmare and discovering that it was just that, a dream.

Unfortunately for her, however, it was reality. That little hope that nothing had ever really happened vanished immediately after seeing the light.

With a jolt, the General freed himself from her touch and backed away. His gaze exuded something very like hatred, but he wasn't completely lost in it. He could still be recovered... maybe.

«Help me...» he muttered mockingly, before showing a sad grin. «I'm not going to let you help me. Besides, what help could you possibly offer me?» He quickly nodded at the shelves. «I bet you haven't read much about the Jenova Project. You just know that it preceded the Yoshua Project, don't you?» he asked, revealing.

Rain didn't answer, but her face spoke for herself. She didn't understand what he was trying to tell her. Thus, Sephiroth continued.

«Angeal and Genesis…» he said, his voice dead and his face dark, «My mother, Shinra… you and I… we're all part of this complicated equation. Jenova was an alien creature, a monster, and from it Shinra tried to give life to similar creatures. He failed... again and again... and then he created me.»

He lowered his head, and his hair tragically framed his pale face.

«The perfect monster.»

Rain felt the tears in her eyes struggle to overflow. She wasn't succeeding in her intent. She still hadn't been able to save him from his own mind.

«What the hell are you saying?» she tried to raise her voice, «You're not a monster. You are a human being.»

«So how are you?» he interrupted her, «Or how those whom I called friends were? We're all... monsters, probably.» he gave up, «It's just that I still can't accept it.»

«None of us is a monster!» she tried to catch her breath, but she panicked. «Listen… I thought exactly like you. You know it well. But then... then I realized that even if my nature requires me to be someone else... even if my past demands it... I don't have to be that monster everyone expects me to be.»

She clenched her fists and her head bent quickly as she bit her lip for the right words.

«The world is full of monsters, and some of them are humans. They're the worst monsters. But even when I thought I was one of those monsters myself, good people managed to show me the truth.»

Sephiroth didn't want to interrupt her this time, as if she had finally managed to intrigue him. It was clear that she was speaking with an open heart... for the first time. Up until now their relationship had been based on hidden feelings, repressed emotions, so he had never seen her in those conditions. And as much as seeing her so sad and desperate about that made him, somehow, feel bad about her in his turn... he still couldn't forgive her. He didn't know if he'd ever do that.

Rain continued her speech, not moving a step.

«When I felt alone... wrong...» she explained in fact, «... they helped me to show me what I was and who I really am: a human being like many others. And I realized I'm not a monster. There are people in the world who have the power to make you forget what you think about yourself. People who can help you love who you really are and understand that no one is a monster unless they want to be. Family, friends, companions....»

Only at that moment did she slowly raise her head, just enough to give Sephiroth a look.

The SOLDIER hesitated for a moment. Her eyes were filled with tears, bright and sad.

«... the one you love...» she said, in a vibrant sigh, «... all of them can help you. And I don't care which of these categories you think I'm in or want me to be part of, because my only desire is to help you understand who you really are, so that you understand... that you have never been a monster. And you're able to never be one.» she then concluded, while she was crying silently. Her chest was shaking with little quivers.

Sephiroth's instinct prompted him to approach her and console her. It was what he'd normally do. He didn't like seeing her so sad and sorrowful at all. He had always done what he could to keep her safe: from monsters, from bad people, from herself.

But now... now he just couldn't. He felt betrayed by her. The hatred of him for everything around him, his hatred for himself, perhaps, was engulfing him. Maybe it really was too late.

A dark grip was now clutching his heart. His soul had grown colder, more severe, less understanding. Arrogance and anger were consuming him.

«I do not have anybody.» he answered then, now empty. Empty of any emotion. For some reason, he now felt much calmer in pushing her away away once and for all. «I have no family, no friends, no companions… nor a person I love. I only have me.» he put the palm of a hand on his chest, lifting his chin. «And I don't need anyone else. I don't need any help.»

Rainiel watched him turn back to the shelves, grabbing the book he had put down earlier.

«Now go away, Rainiel. I'd like to be alone.» he finally dismissed her.

Rain, on the other hand, didn't even know how to answer. That short, pragmatic speech of him was enough... to destroy her from the inside. She had the feeling that someone had just ripped out her heart, or that they were suffocating her. As if she were slowly drowning in a dark abyss... with no light on the surface. Likewise, she no longer saw a way out, a future. She saw no more hope.

Most importantly, she no longer saw Sephiroth. The man in front of her... that couldn't be him. What had become of her idol, her mentor, her friend and...? And what, in fact? Maybe it was true. She had never been anything to him, no one really important. Just a distraction. Indeed... a nuisance, a real pain in the neck who had done nothing but take everything from him and in return had chosen to make him suffer.

Maybe he was right.

She took a few steps back without turning. She nodded a couple of times, as if she understood something. She stopped crying and shaking.

"I get it. I'll leave you alone." she wanted to tell him, but there was no air in her lungs. Her throat made no sound.

Without even looking at him, the girl was seized by an unimaginable pain and she ran away, not even saying goodbye. She was so tired... tired of everything. Of that life, of those emotions that were making her suffer.

She had lost everything. As persistent as she fought... she had been defeated.

She fled, and never looked back. There was nothing left there for her. There'd never be.

But as she ran away from the truth, her heart heavy and her head on fire... Sephiroth looked at her one last time, at least until she disappeared beyond the first bookcase. He could feel her pain. He could almost feel it himself.

He wondered, for the last time, if that was the right thing to do.

An angry instinct made him wish he could destroy everything: those books, that archive... the whole Shinra building. He was so... furious.

Instead, he managed to keep calm, at least outwardly. He rested his arm against the shelf and his forehead on it, closing his eyes for a few seconds.

Rainiel had told him he wasn't the monster he thought he was... but maybe he had just become one.

* * *

**Chapter 56**

**THE SEVENTH DAY**

Rainiel had nothing left but her pain. She was back in that vortex from which she thought she had escaped. Perhaps she was destined to suffer?

She told Zack what had happened, he too was very sorry and thought he was responsible for that argument, as he had revealed everything to Sephiroth, although he didn't know that Jenova was the name of the one he believed was his mother. Rain just reassured him: the fault was not his. That was the last time she spoke to anyone.

She tried to make an effort never to stop. Locking herself in the bedroom again wasn't the best idea or her mind would soon kill her. Rather, she thought of doing some simple tasks, but not even those could distract her. She was simply destroyed.

She didn't know what had become of Sephiroth. She had never seen or heard from him again. She hadn't asked Jadin again if she had any news from him. Why do it, after all? He didn't want to see her anymore. She was just a nuisance, a traitor, a disappointment.

Perhaps he had remained locked in the scientific archives and continued to be. It had already been a week since he had entered there, and no one seemed to have seen him again. His obsession had won over rationality. The desperate search for the truth about his origins and nature was driving him mad, to every new book, every new document concerning the Jenova Project, every second that passed. The sun set and rose, and he kept searching, without sleeping, without feeding, without thinking of anything but that name, the only one he had known since he was born.

And on the seventh day...

Rainiel, that afternoon, was returning from another successful job, some sort of training, you might say. As a second class SOLDIER, she wasn't called for extremely important events, so she occasionally did patrols and trainings. Nothing that she couldn't handle.

Her only ambition was to go back to her room, postpone dinner until the next day, and sink into bed after a short bath. She didn't want to do anything else. She was dull... uninterested in everything, and she thought she'd be for the rest of her life. Until something happened.

Suddenly, as she walked through a public corridor, the lights in the room changed with a bright flash. Blue and red flashed and worried passersby, while an emergency noise signaled that there had been some serious problem.

Rain stiffened suddenly, looking around and recognizing the warning sign: a fire must have broken out somewhere in the building. Security began to evacuate the civilians inside, as per the procedure, those who had gone to Shinra building to work in the offices and those who had commitments to attend to. Rain saw no smoke at the moment, so she didn't know where the danger actually was. She helped security and moved elsewhere to look for information, but she found no one who could help her. Not until a dark-haired boy darted past her without even seeing her.

Rain widened her eyes and ran after him, raising her voice so that he could hear her despite the alarm.

«Zack! Wait for me!» she then screamed.

The SOLDIER stopped, cushioning the speed on his heels and looked at her in surprise.

«Rain?! What are you doing here?» he asked her, confused.

«I was coming home from work… it doesn't matter. Do you know what's happening? The situation seems serious.» she then asked, without losing her temper.

Zack pressed his lips together before looking at her again and inhaling deeply.

«Actually, yes. Many first-class SOLDIERS have been mobilized, including myself. A dangerous fire seemed to have broken out and now several floors are being evacuated.»

«I thought so... I don't want to hold you back, but on what level did it happen? They'll have given you the information you need, I guess...»

Zack seemed to hesitate, but finally he told her the truth.

«I was hoping not to worry you… but I don't feel like keeping it from you. The flames...» he said, clenching his fists, «They're devouring the scientific archives... and spreading fast.»

Rain turned pale as if she had just seen a ghost and felt a pang in her heart.

«The archives...?» she immediately linked her reasoning to the images, the memories of that place. She trembled visibly and let her jaw dangle in surprise. «Sephiroth could be there...»

He was a SOLDIER, the strongest there was... but how could he fight the fire? Being there was very, very dangerous. What if something happened to him?

Rainiel started running, pulling Zack with her as well.

«W- Woah! What are you doing, Rain?» in fact, he asked, confused, moving to avoid tripping.

«I'm coming with you. I'll help you.» she only announced. She didn't need any more words, she knew Zack would understand anyway. He knew what feelings harbored in the girl's heart despite everything, and that she'd never step aside once learnt the truth. In a way, that was why it might've been better off lying to her, but that wasn't like him.

His friend started running beside her, aware that they'd most likely arrive first on the scene. SOLDIERS were usually busy on the upper floors, and the flames made it impossible to reach the affected floor with the elevator.

Many minutes later, and certainly many steps later - as they were forced to take the stairs to a somewhat farther level of the building - they finally reached the archives. They weren't far from the offices where Jadin also worked, but they calmed down to meet her along the way as she evacuated with several other scientists and apprentices. The floor was supposed to be deserted now, except for the two SOLDIERS.

«Let's be very careful.» Zack sanctioned, once they reached a corridor in which the flames were clearly visible, climbing like poisonous beings along the walls and widening more and more.

They tried to use two fire extinguishers to put them out, but they just minimized the big fire, just enough to go through and check that the archives inside were empty.

Rainiel preceded her friend, not sparing herself from running into the flames and often got burned too, but she didn't care. She had to make sure Sephiroth wasn't there. That he was safe. She prayed with all her heart that her worries were unfounded...

She didn't meet anyone and luckily she found the main gate destroyed, which led her to think that the fire wasn't born due to an accident...

That must have been arson. Whoever had broken down the metal door had done so because he wanted the tongues of flame to advance and destroy everything in their path. Someone... wanted to claim many victims.

She didn't stop to think too much. The gate had become a circle of fire and Zack was left behind, probably he was trying to reduce the damage and put out the flames from the outside. She, however, couldn't give up.

She coughed, smothered by the black smoke surrounding her, the sweaty skin clinging to the SOLDIER uniform, but she didn't come back.

She covered her nose and mouth with one arm and took a run, taking a leap that took her directly below the steps that created access to the archive.

The bookcases were piles of ash, burning wood. The documents... most of them surely had already been destroyed.

Rainiel got up. The space in there was much larger and because of this she was able to move more freely despite the fire, checking at every small fork that there was no one.

That was until she reached the side of the building, near the windows, a large empty area that stood between the wall and what now looked like a destroyed library.

The floor was slippery from the ash, the air heavy and almost unbreathable, but that wasn't why she caught her breath.

It happened because, when she raised her head after coughing again, she saw a figure emerge from the fire as if it were afraid to touch him.

One person, wearing a large, long black jacket with a high collar. A large metal blade, still cold, cut the flames, bent them to his will, while the shape illuminated by the red and yellow light of the fire came closer and closer to Rainiel.

She recognized that person almost instantly. She wanted to smile, run over to make sure he was okay and carry him to safety, but she didn't.

The one in front of her wasn't Sephiroth... it couldn't be him.

His face was calm and perfect, he enjoyed the gift of the purest tranquility, but in his eyes, together with the sparks of the flames that surrounded them inexorably, flickered a unique and never seen before cruelty. The man was gone. A monster was born, or rather, was awakened.

So, as he walked towards the girl in all naturalness, as if he finally understood the secret of a world that no longer frightened him, Rain knew... that there was a risk that she wouldn't come out alive from that archive anymore.


	19. Chosen by the Planet / Cruel Angel / What Have I Done?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emerging from the scientific archives after seven days, Sephiroth appears to have gone mad and unleashes his fury. What will happen when Rainiel's forced to face him in a battle for survival?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 57: Chosen by the Planet;  
> • Chapter 58: Cruel Angel;  
> • Chapter 59: What have I done?

* * *

**Chapter 57**

**CHOSEN BY THE PLANET**

Sephiroth walked unperturbed until he stopped a few meters away from his pupil.

Flames danced around him, punctuating his austere figure, making it somehow more grandiose and menacing. The warm lights of the fire reflected in his feral eyes, on the pale skin of his face and chest, and on the raven fabric of his clothes. He almost looked like an avenging god, who came from heaven to pay off an ancient debt, punishing humanity for its sins.

Rainiel looked at him for an interminable time, torn between what she believed, what she hoped and what she saw in front of her at that moment.

She had missed him very much but, for some reason, she knew it'd be better for her if she didn't get close to him.

The young man lifted his arms, and the flames behind him seemed to accept his command, rising, yet autonomous.

«Good to see you... Rainiel.» he murmured, impassive, or perhaps a little sarcastic, lifting his face to give her a haughty look.

«Sephiroth!»

The girl wanted to reach him, but it was dangerous. And not just for the flames. By the way, she was tired. She had been burned to enter the archive and had run at breakneck speed.

«We have to get out of here. The fire's about to...»

She heard a noise behind her.

Zack came running, stopping beside her and checking that she was okay, before even addressing the General.

«We found you, finally. Come on, other SOLDIERS are trying to contain the fire, but we can't stay here.» he warned him, grabbing Rain's arm and trying to lead her away.

«... And so, here arrives the other traitor.» Sephiroth seemed in no hurry to leave. On the contrary, he didn't move at all. «You humans have caused more destruction than you can imagine... yet you fear something like flames.»

His comment froze both present.

Rainiel felt a chill run down her spine in spite of the high temperature in the archive and freed herself from Zack's grip to confront Sephiroth.

«What?» she asked incredulously, «What do you mean... "you humans"?»

«What do you think I mean? His kind, of course.»

Using the Masamune, the General pointed to Zack without touching him.

The boy swallowed, worried. Something was wrong.

«Sephiroth... what are you mumbling about? All this smoke must've gone to your head. Come with us, quickly.»

Rain, however, knew it wasn't the effect of the smoke.

«What are you trying to say?» she asked him indeed.

«This fire... is only a small beginning. It'lll be the advent of a great vengeance that has been waiting to be served for millennia.»

«Millennia?» the other two said in chorus.

«I found out a lot from the documents relating to the Jenova Project. My mother... was a Cetra creature. Like the Ancients... and this world was hers to rule.» Sephiroth seemed to begin to delirious, his face suddenly darkened and furious. «But when she reached the Planet, humans let the Ancients, who tried to protect them, die. They didn't care at all, thinking rather of proliferating and multiplying like parasites, draining the Planet of its forces. They continue even now, while we are talking. This is not the plan my mother envisioned for Gaia and the races that inhabited it.»

After making a hand into a fist, he pointed an index finger at Zack and made it easy for him to understand that he wasn't going to let him go.

« _Humans_ … continue to believe themselves to be the strongest. They claim to be the best, perfect beings, when in reality they're nothing but weak and fragile things. Why shouldn't I finish what my mother started long ago, so as to give her the justice she deserves?» he raised his voice.

He was terribly convinced of what he was saying. It couldn't be a joke. Besides... It was he himself, in a fit of rage, who started the fire.

Rainiel couldn't even think anymore. She could only be guided by instinct, while Zack forced her to stay beside him, without her being able to approach the madman in front of them.

«Sephiroth, you yourself are a human being! You have to trust me, _Jenova is not your mother_. She's a hostile alien creature who threatened Gaia and all its inhabitants, humans or Ancients. There is no justice that must be delivered, nor an error to be avenged. You got the wrong idea!»

The Masamune ripped through the air with a hiss and touched her forehead. Zack promptly pulled is friend to him, sheltering her.

«Watch your tongue. Neither you nor I are human beings. The projects that brought us to light were aimed at recreating a human who enjoyed the powers of the Ancients, but we are more than creatures born from a laboratory to satisfy the twisted desires of a scientist. We are superior beings.»

The General, or at least the one who had once been SOLDIER's General, continued to observe and judge her for a while before continuing.

«That is why I'm tempted to let you live. You were right about one thing: we are two sides of the same coin. Together... we could take back what was taken from us. Do you understand? I'm even willing to forgive you for what you've done, if you can satisfy me.»

Sephiroth took a few steps, still surrounded by the boiling light of the fire. He reached out a hand to the girl, showing her a welcoming and sly grin at least.

«Join me… Rain. There is no point in taking sides with those who destroyed and stole what belonged to us. Our one and only family.» he proposed.

His gloved hand was three feet away from the girl now that he had pulled back his weapon. His was an offer with a precise answer. Ally with him, or die.

Of course, it didn't take Rain long to choose.

«Humans are my one and only family. You... have gone blind, Sephiroth. You've lost sight of the truth, everything around you. What did your research lead you to?» she tried to make him reason, practically desperate. She gestured and raised her eyebrows, pleading with him. «I... I don't even know who you are anymore. I no longer see in you the man I thought I knew.»

Sephiroth listened intently to what she had to say and then finally bowed his head and smiled almost sympathetically. As if he expected that.

«And so you decide to betray me once again. Maybe that's true... you belong to their race, their lies and injustices, not to mine. That means you'll perish by their side.»

He stepped back with his back to the window that had previously been behind him. Even the setting sun seemed to have painted the sky red, which now merged with the fire.

«You say you don't recognize me, but nothing has ever been so clear to me before. I finally understood who I am.» he began again, while the two listened stunned, «My mother is Jenova, and the Planet should've belonged to her. The human race took it right from her and reduced her to a laboratory specimen. I... am the heir of that world, hers to rule. I am the last direct descendant of the race of the Cetra. Within my veins flows the blood of Ancients, the birthright to make mine what Jenova was denied because of the vile humans, the same ones who tried to make me believe I was a monster, or something even worse than one of them. But I'm none of that. I am... _the Chosen One!_ »

He raised his arms, still turned, and admired the sun sinking beyond Midgar.

Rain and Zack marveled at what happened next, unable to explain how it was possible.

A whirlwind of black feathers rained down on the flames as a great dark shadow engulfed the ex-SOLDIER, who was now proclaiming himself the messiah of a race went extinct thousands of years ago, the executioner who had come to bring balance to the world.

With a lightning-fast movement, a black shape obscured his right arm and stretched out as elegant as menacing. Griffin and mighty, against the fire of the live fire grew a seraphic, or perhaps demonic wing. A one-winged angel had appeared before them: as he turned back to them, his eyes gleamed with an icy murderous fury capable of electrocuting and wounding through the air alone.

The wing with its long, sharp raven feathers moved delicately in the void above the tongues of fire, generating a small current.

Rain didn't even know what to think, other than perhaps being in a dream. Yet it was all true: Sephiroth was in front of her and had very clear intentions.

By now... he had really given up is humanity. Perhaps there wasn't a single grain of hope left for him. He no longer knew compassion or rationality, only his own deep hatred for whatever or whiever surrounded him. Somehow, by doing so he was just continuing to sink into that poisonous loneliness that had slowly manipulated and corrupted him.

Zack's expression, beside her, made her understand that he too was feeling and thinking the same things.

«I intend to complete my task, starting here. I will kill you and then go in search of my mother. I'll be reunited with her. I will take back the Planet that is my birthright.»

His left hand deftly wielded the long, sharp Masamune, which reached the space above his head as he prepared to attack.

Zack squeezed Rain's hand to give her the necessary strength. Maybe he was suggesting that she escape and get to safety.

Rainiel, however, would never do that. That was her battle.

She just... she didn't expect to fight right against Sephiroth. Her heart was bleeding from pain at the very thought of having to fight for life, facing him, but what other choice did she have?

Now it was she who had to protect all that was left to her. Her people.

* * *

**Chapter 58**

**CRUEL ANGEL**

There wasn't the slightest trace of hesitation in Sephiroth's heart, cloaked in the shadows of the deceit that was driving him mad.

Silent as an owl gliding in the dark of night to grasp the fragile body of its prey in its claws, the General moved, demonstrating that he possessed an extraordinary speed and technique. The Masamune held in his left hand vibrated in the air and froze ready to unleash a lethal strike.

Luckily Zack managed to throw himself at Rainiel, still too shocked to notice the danger she had been in, and was able to secure both of them from that blow. Fate wanted them to fall a few centimeters from the flames, which barely burned Rainiel's pale skin, and then she stood up and drew her swords, realizing that she couldn't remain still for long or she'd lose her life.

Sephiroth was about to prepare another attack, as the great black wing struck the air and caused the fire to bend to his right.

Zack and Rain exchanged a knowing glance. Sticking together, perhaps, would've been the best idea. In reality they didn't know one thing: long ago, the legendary SOLDIER, the cruel angel, had managed to defeat both Genesis and Angeal in a duel, who had teamed up to fight him during a training. Zack and Rainiel were strong, of course, but they didn't have the same experience as those who had been their masters, albeit briefly.

They swapped places in midair after taking a leap and, forming a double zigzag line, attacked the man from both sides.

The Buster sword and the Aikuchis tried to hit the enemy's chest, but on their way they met the long katana, which Sephiroth was holding upside down and with one hand right in front of his face, the confident face of who knew what he was doing. It was long enough to parry their attack and then, with a blow that used only the strength of arms and legs, he pushed both away and separated them.

Zack tried to land so that he could do a somersault and get up and, when he did, he used the momentum and speed to bounce with his feet against a wall and throw himself at him again.

Sephiroth didn't even look at him, letting go of the hilt of the Masamune while it was still raised and grabbing it firmly with his right hand, defending himself again. Shortly thereafter, his feet lifted off the ground and the great black wing swept Zack away, who crashed into a wall.

The flames would've engulfed him if Rainiel hadn't rushed towards him, catching him. Thanks to her help, Zack was able to get back on his feet and regain his balance.

Rainiel joined him, on the defensive.

Sephiroth moved like a king on a chessboard: his movements were perfectly calculated, premeditated, and aimed at a quick and sure victory. He moved in straight lines, reaching the desired goal in a flash and hitting the next pawn.

In fact, before they could even catch their breath he was already in front of them. Still with the Masamune in his right hand, he adjusted the grip on the handle so that it swirled smoothly, in order to hit both of them.

Fortunately they managed to parry the blow, but a blow of Aeroga spell sent the boy away.

«Zack!» the friend shouted his name, seeing him disappear over a pile of burning lumber, probably a fallen bookcase. She had to reach him.

Quick as lightning, she moved to the left of the man to avoid his wing and attempted a back attack. The Masamune was now in his left hand and his elbow bent quickly, preventing her idea from succeeding. Rain then tried to sweep his legs off with a slide, but he soared up to the ceiling and a green light formed in his free hand.

To avoid the Bioga spell directed at her, Rain rolled over to a shelf and sheltered her head when a fiery beam nearly fell on her, though she had landed three feet away. Without second thoughts, she then started running and thinking of a way to shelter. She got an idea as Sephiroth approached her, beating the only angelic wing into the void.

"My power... if only I could control it..."

Yoshua had handed down his gift to her, different from that of the Cetra who were close to the Planet, but also similar in some way. Nature and elements were subject to her will, and that power fed on her fear and danger.

"Please, follow my will..." she begged perhaps herself, tightening her fingers around the Aikuchis.

As if someone had finally decided to listen to her, woody but quick laces sprung from the still intact shelves and blocked Sephiroth, twisting around his free arm.

The SOLDIER watched in surprise, as suddenly the vine began to grow thorns, which sank into his skin. With a nervous gasp, he cut with surgical precision the plant born thanks to Rain and closed his fingers. Streams of blood ran down his forearm. He looked for the pupil with his gaze, determined to make her pay. At the same time, however, he realized that she could cause far more damage than a few superficial cuts. She... just wasn't aiming to really hurt him.

The girl's reddish hair floated behind her back as she darted through areas not yet touched by the fire and headed for the shelf behind which Zack had fallen. She could see the tip of the Buster sword behind a small pile of timber.

She was in danger of slipping due to the ash on the ground and the air was unbreathable. She didn't understand how Sephiroth could feel at ease in that closed room that was gradually catching fire. Sooner or later the ceiling would collapse on them... she had to get everyone to safety. Starting with Zack.

Sephiroth was quicker than she, however, and, as the girl passed a bookcase still mostly intact, he destroyed it with a blow of his loyal and lethal weapon.

Cut in half by it, the small library swooped down on her menacingly.

Rain tried to hurry, but she ended up getting hit and falling to the ground. Unimaginable pain invaded her legs and lower back, but she didn't give up. Rising from the shelves, she cleared the way one sword stroke after another and reached her target.

The fire had caused many more rubble to fall and one of them had nearly buried Zack. Rain saw him sprawled on the floor and pulled him away to a safer area. She noticed his true condition: she thought the Masamune hadn't touched him, but apparently it had instead hit his torso and part of his side. His cuts were serious and, as if that weren't enough, he had a severe burn on a leg. He had breathed too much smoke and was now coughing without even being able to open his eyes.

«Rain... get away from here!» he managed to pronounce, slowly lifting himself up on the elbows with enormous effort.

She tried to answer him, ready to take him with her, but a shadow landed lightly on the rubble in front of them.

«Do you really think I'll let her escape?» Sephiroth threatened, reaching out a hand in their direction.

Again, he summoned an Aeroga which, this time, aimed precisely at Rainiel.

The girl felt short of breath and the spell sent her against a wall. She slapped her back, as if she didn't feel enough pain already, and fell to the ground. She tried to sit up again, not without difficulty, but she only ended up falling to her knees. Again, she could see with the only eye that could keep open the mighty figure of Sephiroth touching the ground again and walking towards her, watching her from above with a contented expression.

«Here's a scene worth seeing.» He spread his arms again when he stopped, «A traitor on her knees. Why don't you start begging for mercy?» he asked, with that usual calmness of his.

Rain had lost her swords. She didn't even know where they were and, although she cared for them very much, being a gift from her parents, finding them was her last thought for now. Rather, she wrapped her arms around her ribs, thinking she had broken some. She could no longer catch her breath, and even lifting her head was hard work. Black soot covered her face and body, warm blood ran swiftly over the SOLDIER uniform, and the fighting spirit had left her eyes.

With her chest rising and falling painfully, she tried to turn to him.

«Seph... Sephir...» she coughed hard, covering her mouth. Her palm was stained red. She was in worse shape than she thought. «Stop... please. This isn't... the way...»

Sephiroth's gaze became as merciless as possible. When he realized that the girl would not start crying and screaming, hoping he would spare her, he was almost offended. He had to punish such a wrong.

Rainiel rolled her eyes and it was as if an electric shock had hit her in full. Her vision became duller and it split for a few seconds, but she still managed to see the Masamune's blade pointing directly at her. Not only that... it had hit her.

Its sharp, precise point had sunk into her flesh in her shoulder and emerged on her back, traversing her from side to side.

It hurt so much that Rain couldn't even scream. She tried unsuccessfully to grab the blade, but she felt herself lift from the ground little by little. Soon, her feet no longer touched the floor and now she was looking down on the young man.

Sephiroth had lifted her into the air using only the force of his wrist on his weapon, with which he had dealt a decisive blow.

Never in their training had the General shown such power or such murderous fury. He really meant to kill her.

Rain was slowly losing her strength. Maybe that really was the end.

«You haven't even tried to protect yourself properly.» the man with long silver hair commented, annoyed. «I thought you were smarter than that. Instead... you let yourself be overwhelmed by your own feelings.»

Rain's hands released the blade, falling inanimate. Blood flowed from both sides of her lips, and from the wound on her shoulder. The fire was burning her feet, because she was right on the living flames.

Maybe she was really going to die...

Fate had been cruel to her. She was going to be killed by the same man she had trusted so much. She was about to leave the world with that same sadness that had always been a part of her. And of Sephiroth.

Perhaps, with her, his soul would also die.

* * *

**Chapter 59**

**WHAT HAVE I DONE?**

The flames danced and seemed to roar, but it was possible to hear the voices of the SOLDIERs slowly approaching screaming, getting closer and closer to the entrance to the scientific archives. But would they have made it in time?

Rain began to no longer feel the heat that was making her sweat. On the contrary, she felt very cold. Her body shuddered and her gaze began to fall back to the floor.

« _Sephiroth!!!_ »

A scream ripped through the air and caught the attention of both of them.

Zack was still on the ground, wounded, trying to drag himself towards them. The utmost desperation could be read in his face, as he inevitably saw his best friend suffer at the hands of someone in whom they had placed all their trust. Someone who was more than just an acquaintance or friend to her.

The General felt all the boy's pain only thanks to his voice. Despite the little air available, he had been able to scream at the top of his lungs.

"Zack..." Rain thought, unable to move a single muscle towards him.

The dark-haired young SOLDIER bared his teeth, doing what he could.

«Sephiroth! Stop, you have to stop!» he continued to scream at the top of his voice.

Somehow, he managed to make him feel his exploding emotions too.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, overwhelmed by his grief. He didn't move. He could have let Rainiel go and finished him once and for all, but he didn't.

Despite this, he looked the boy straight in the eye. The pupil of his friend. Angeal's pupil. He looked so much like him...

His deep blue eyes were dazzling him, distressed.

«Let her go, Sephiroth!» he coughed, and then pleaded with him, trying to reason with him. « _You're going to kill her!_ »

That sentence was enough. That single sentence.

Sephiroth's mind left his body for a moment, but the journey seemed to take hours.

_He was in the dark Midgar alley. The crescent moon and the stars were shining on him, on them._

_He was angry and disgusted. His hands were clenched around the throat of a man who had disrespected him and had gone too far. He had tried to bear it, to ignore it, but he had crossed the line. How had he dared? Touching that woman... insulting her... right in front of him._

_He had to protect her. At the cost of killing that drunk idiot._

_«You're going to kill him!»_

_A hand grabbed his arm, the high voice of the woman tried to dissuade him._

_Should he have listened to her? But he was right... he was protecting her, wasn't he?_

_At the cost of shedding blood._

_«Sephiroth, you are better than this.»_

_The General felt his heart tighten for a moment._

_«Don't do this... please. Don't kill him.»_

_It was enough for him to look at those big blue eyes that sought contact with his. He read fear, terror, disbelief in those eyes of her. Those of the same person that he just wanted to make feel safe. What was he doing? Was he becoming a monster?_

_«I trust you completely. And I want to keep doing it. Without you I wouldn't be here. Meeting you was the greatest fortune of my life. So, just promise me one thing...»_

_Sephiroth was listening intently to every single word she uttered outside that bedroom door._

_She hadn't lost faith in him, despite everything. For some reason, Sephiroth knew that she would always be able to forgive him, because he too would. She had forgiven him for nearly killing a man out of mere protective instinct, and also somewhat jealous._

_«… That you won't harm anyone unless necessary. Whether they're completely innocent people or not.»_

_«I promise, on my honor as a SOLDIER.»_

_He would've promised it on anything, actually. On the same air he breathed._

_He felt so dependent on her, on her company, that he hardly recognized himself._

_She was the only one who had looked beyond his fame, his strength, his looks. She was the only one who had always made him feel good about himself. Just helping her was a joy for him. He wanted his time with her to never end._

_And so, perhaps not even a minute later, he had held her in her arms. He had kissed those longed-for lips, he had understood that his heart hadn't completely petrified after what he had been through. He was alone once. But he now he no longer felt different from everyone. Rainiel was like him. And she made him feel better than ever._

_That night, when he went back to his room and decided to try falling asleep, he couldn't do it right away. The feeling he had felt hours ago was still so vivid that he couldn't have put it into words. Someone was missing beside him... he would've liked her to be there with him a little longer._

_Maybe she would forgive him for that somewhat selfish idea too._

It was a moment, a time included in the blink of an eye, but Sephiroth thought he had just seen so many recent memories that had changed his life flowing in front of him. A moment of lucidity in the dark madness that had struck him.

Zack was still trying to drag himself, at times dabbing the still open wounds. He was calling Rain's name, pleading with Sephiroth to make him reason. He didn't understand what had happened to the hero he knew.

The General looked at him and asked himself an existential question. But then he looked back at Rain, and only then did he realize he had made the biggest mistake of his life.

The girl was dying, she needed immediate medical attention. Her blood dripped into the fire beneath her, or glided swiftly and silently along the blade of the Masamune. She tried to observe Sephiroth one last time, preparing to die in front of that scene.

Something changed forever in Sephiroth's gaze when it met hers. A cold shiver went through him, made him tremble. A disastrous awareness made his mind and his body waver.

He looked at the hand holding the Masamune, he tried to reason.

Did avenging the one he called mother really matter more than all of this? Was it really the right decision?

Rainiel had tried to tell him: Jenova wasn't his mother. In the writings he had read, humans often regarded her as a hostile creature.

Was she slowly devouring his mind too? Was he becoming a... monster?

He mimed that word with his lips, opening his aqua eyes wide. He couldn't move, couldn't think.

Then, Rainiel caught sight of him and, for some reason, understood what was happening inside his soul and mind.

They were connected, after all. They always had been, from birth.

It was for this reason that the girl, the same one who had occupied his mind and time, who had aroused in him emotions he never thought he could ever know... the same one who was now slowly dying at the burning kiss of his Masamune... smiled at him.

It was a faint smile, weak and painful. Even that small action required a gigantic effort.

She smiled... and spoke to him.

«You don't necessarily have to be what your past imposes on you....»

She paused. Each spoken word was an extra pain that shook her.

Sephiroth recognized those words before she even finished.

«W... Who you really are and what will your future bring... it's up to you to decide.»

A faint, muffled whisper... powerful as a thunder rumble that makes the sky itself tremble.

A spear that struck Sephiroth's conscience and that finally managed to snatch him from that hatred in which he himself risked drowning, dragging others with him.

In that moment he realized what his real priority was.

Jenova, the Ancients, the legacy, the Planet. Everything paled in front of what Rainiel really meant to him.

He was wrong.

He withdrew the Masamune and, less than a second later, took Rainiel's weak body into his arms, as she fell between them.

The girl let out a single moan. She couldn't move and the pain was slowly fading, which wasn't a good sign. Her vision was also blurred.

Sephiroth knelt before the flames and defended Rainiel from the sparkling sparks with his wing, watching her breathless.

His hands were stained with her blood as he tried to come up with any sentence, even a trivial excuse.

«Rain...»

He couldn't. He had never felt worse than this in his life. His years of loneliness and diversity could not compare to a single crumb of the repentance and pain he was experiencing now.

" _What have I done?_ "

He couldn't repeat anything else in his mind.

Distant voices were now getting closer and closer. The SOLDIERS were putting out the flames. They'd arrive soon.

Zack tried to reach them, worried that Sephiroth was hurting his friend, and ordered him to let her go.

That exclamation from him startled the General. The girl's head was resting on his arm, Sephiroth was bending over her.

He wanted to make up for it, he wanted to be forgiven...

But there was no reason to think that Rain would forgive him for that.

She' be dead in seconds. Her wounds clearly testified to this.

His first instinct, then, was to give each cut a first cure. He tried to use the magic of materias to ease her pain, closing the superficial wounds.

But his hands remained stained with the blood of his pupil, who slowly closed her eyelids.

«Over there! Put out the flames and search the archive! There should be people in here!» shouted a SOLDIER.

Heavy sounds of boots struck the ground.

"They can help her, certainly more than I can." Sephiroth understood, "It... it was I who reduced her like this... what was I thinking? How could I do this? Rainiel... Rain..."

He hoped with all his heart that she survived. He had gotten rid of that delusion that had clouded his thoughts until he had caused disaster.

Now... he couldn't stay with her anymore. How could he have? Rainiel would never ever wanted him to stay by her side. She was no fool.

«... Forgive me.» he said anyway, before shaking a wing.

The current of air created thinned the flames into a specific clearing. She'd be safe until help arrived.

He placed her gently on the ground, touching her cheek with his knuckles for a second, after which he retrieved the Masamune and stood up.

Looking around, he was himself a spectator of the tragedy he had given life to. The fire was contained, so perhaps there had been no other victims, but the very idea that it had gotten to that point made him sick.

He was dizzy. His heart was beating strongly.

He looked at Zack: he was awake, he was about to join Rain. He couldn't walk due to a burn on his leg, but he'd be fine.

This didn't make him feel any better.

The wing, previously enclosed, widened again.

Sephiroth looked one last time at Rainiel, on the ground, and narrowed his eyes.

Most likely, that was their last goodbye.

A moment later, the archive window shattered because of the General, who crossed it, beating the only wing with force and disappeared into the darkening sky, moving away from the hell he had created, ready for his exile.

Rainiel watched in disorientation as the angel soared, feeling lightly a breeze crashing against her body. The flames were further away.

Shortly after, a hand touched her.

«Rain...!»

Zack was beside her, tried to drag her towards the exit.

He coughed, and he too fell to the ground. He had run out of strength, but he had done the best he could.

Both of them, side by side, closed their eyes. They fainted.

They didn't even notice the SOLDIER team and other assistants who, shortly after, invaded the archive, extinguishing the flames, and bringing them to safety.


	20. Death of the Heart / Suppressed Emotions / First Class / Admiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Sephiroth's sudden change and escape, Rainiel can only slowly recover and heal her wounds. Returning to the abyss from which she hoped she was finally able to get out, she'll have to deal with the need to forget him and move on with her life. Suppressing her emotions, however, is not as simple as she wishes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 60: Death of the heart;  
> • Chapter 61: Suppressed emotions;  
> • Chapter 62: First class;  
> • Chapter 63: Admiration

* * *

**Chapter 60**

**DEATH OF THE HEART**

Rainiel slowly opened her eyes, trying to breathe calmly. The feeling of the clean air finally filling her lungs was one of a kind pleasure. At least until her ribs went through a painful twinge that caused her to moan and throw her head back.

She clenched her teeth and fingers, trying again. This time she breathed more slowly and less deeply, then slowly trying to get back on her feet.

She had the feeling that her body was on fire for a few moments, but she endured it and in a short time the burning became less insistent, unlike the one on her left shoulder. Moving her fingers on that side of her body was actually more difficult. A tingling went through her entire limb.

She didn't remember how she got there, she couldn't make up her mind.

And then someone joyfully exclaimed her name.

«Rainiel!»

«Zack...?»

Recognizing his voice, Rain turned to look for him.

She found him on a cot, right next to the one she slept on. They were in a bare white room that, however, was quite familiar.

«You finally woke up!» he celebrated, joining her.

There was no need to ask him what he meant. Rainiel remembered everything as if she had just downloaded the necessary information directly into her mind.

The fire, the archive, the fight, the fear, the pain, the blade darting against her, the whirlwind of black feathers descending from above in the thick gray smoke. Sephiroth... and all that had happened.

Remembering him caused her pain worse than any sudden movement or not.

«I'd hug you, but I guess it would just hurt you right now.» laughed the boy who sat on her bed. Like her, he wore a light blue shirt and trousers and was bandaged and stitched up here and there.

«Zack! Are you okay?»

Ignoring any rules or sensations she should've heeded, Rainiel finally sat down and leaned towards him, checking him from head to toe.

«Hey, how reckless! I'm fine, but you should really go back to rest now. Even if you've done nothing but sleep since... well...»

«Where is he?» Rain's eyes sparkled with concern, «Where's Sephiroth?»

Zack lost his smile.

«Don't you remember what happened?»

«I remember enough…» Rain narrowed her eyes and shook her head before opening them again, knowing that those memories would only make her condition worse. «... but I still don't know a fundamental thing. Where did he go?» she repeated.

Zack cleared his throat and took a deep breath. He looked as good as new, he healed as quickly as ever.

«What I can tell you about him is that he's completely lost his mind. I don't know what got into him or what absurd ideas his delusional mind came up with, but he did this to us, even if I haven't told anyone yet. I saw it with my own eyes... he was going to kill you. Then he let you go and ran away.» he tried to summarize as best as he could, after which he shrugged, sorry. «But I haven't heard from him since. It's been days since our fight. The only thing I know is that I hope he never comes back.»

His expression turned nasty, even though Zack would never be able to look really bad. He was just angrier, but he calmed down when he looked back at his friend.

«I can only imagine how you feel now… and I'm sorry I wasn't able to predict it earlier. I wanted to protect both of us.»

The boy's typical cheerful smile had faded from his face.

Rainiel felt she had lost a part of herself forever. A pain stronger than the others led her to drop her head, surrendered to a dark idea: a great emptiness in her chest. As if they had ripped out her heart.

«He's gone...» she repeated.

She remembered the figure of an angel who soared and fled, having brought hell.

She couldn't even cry. She felt devastated, upset.

«And it's better this way, I'll say.» Zack came closer, taking her hand in an attempt to comfort her.

«Rain, he… he could've killed us both. He really wanted to. I got away with a few cuts and burns, but you...» he took a deep breath, «To say you were about to bleed out would be an understatement. It'll be difficult, but you'll have to try not to think about him, you have to take care only to recover.»

Rain shifted her gaze to the bedroom window. On a nightstand beside his bed, she noticed a vase filled with pretty yellow and white flowers. A gift from someone for one of them. She assumed they were for Zack: they had been shipped from the slums, certainly, and there was a note next to the container. Someone was thinking about him and praying for him to get well quickly. It was probably his girlfriend.

Zack hadn't lost much lately, after all. One of the most important things still remained: love.

That wonderful feeling... Rain thought she had almost touched it for an ephemeral moment, before it escaped her and vanished completely. In that moment she decided that she'd no longer allow anyone to betray her and make her suffer so much. Never again.

Sephiroth had died along with her heart. He had to be, right?

Even though she knew perfectly well that he was okay somewhere in the world, and even though he had not fulfilled his absurd mission and had listened to her words, whispered in the moment she believed preceded her last moments of life... he had hurt her in every possible way.

Why had he succumbed to madness?

And above all, why Rain still couldn't hate him...?

Zack was right. She could only forget him, distract herself from the constant thought of him that haunted her mind, and perhaps sooner or later those feelings that blossomed in her, recent but stronger than ever, would be forever forgotten.

She leaned her back against the pillows again. Her body was on fire with every movement. Zack's touch on her hand was the only light comfort.

Her heart was dead. Or maybe it had just fallen asleep.

In any case, she knew that Sephiroth had taken it away with him, selfishly. She didn't know if she'd be able to forgive him for that.

* * *

**Chapter 61**

**SUPPRESSED EMOTIONS**

Cloud and Vaneja sat on Zack and Rain's beds, respectively, while Jadin stood between the two beds. The two SOLDIERS had received a specific order: stay in bed and not dare to try to walk around.

Rainiel could hardly sit up for the moment, so she too would hardly be able to break that rule, but Zack was as usual full of life and exuberant. He moved around the room and had even tried squats once, but the doctor caught him in the act and gave him a good earful. Now Zack had been lying down for about an hour.

The two of them and their friends had talked about how they were and the improvements due to convalescence, but they hadn't yet touched on the most important topic.

Rainiel braced herself and took a deep breath.

«So?» she broke the silence, «What happened after the fire?»

Vaneja, the most knowledgeable about top-secret issues and certainly also an excellent spy, proved to live up to the gossip.

«The flames have been properly put out. SOLDIERS, infantry and Turks worked together to prevent the floor from collapsing, thanks to the intervention of all no casualties were recorded.» she then began, gesticulating, «The files in the archive weren't as lucky. Many important ones have been lost, according to scientists.»

Jadin nodded.

«The fire also reached our offices. We've been moved elsewhere... it was a hard blow for scientists and assistants, a lot of material can no longer be recovered.» she confirmed.

Vaneja shrugged.

«However, you were the only ones in the archive, which is the heart of the disaster.» she pointed out.

«The only ones?!» Jadin gasped, «So what became of Sephiroth?»

«Was Sephiroth there?!» Cloud's eyes widened, «But… but Zack and Rainiel were the only ones rescued in there! Does this mean that Sephiroth is...?»

Vaneja shook her head.

«Don't joke around, kid. As I said, there were no victims, even though these two big heads came very close. Sephiroth will be fine, on the contrary... I am amazed that he's not already here to take care of his girlfriend.»

She blew a provocative kiss in Rain's direction, unaware of the matter.

The reddish-haired girl wrapped her fingers around the sheets. Her pupils trembled as a lump formed in her throat.

Zack noticed this and cleared his throat.

«Rain… and Sephiroth… they quarreled. I don't think it's appropriate to talk about it.» he invented.

As Cloud and Jadin just stared in confusion, Vaneja gasped and covered her mouth.

«Oh sorry. I didn't know. I'll try not to rub it in...»

Unusual, but evidently she too had noticed the growing malaise of her friend.

Cloud shook his head, not interested in gossip and romantic matters.

«Rather... the question that intrigues everyone is one in particular. It is clear that the fire cannot have reduced you in these conditions. The signs of a fight on the scene, according to what SOLDIERS say, were evident, but nobody knows why.»

The young boy got everyone's attention.

«Well... who did all this to you?»

He fell silent, saturated with curiosity and agitation.

Rain winced.

Zack seemed to think about it for a while, unsure of the answer to give. Thinking about it, he thought for a second that it was better to tell the truth. He had never been a good liar, however.

«We...»

He felt a glance pierce him and turned to Rain.

The girl was neither angry nor indecisive. She just looked very, very sad. Her eyes were pleading with him.

"Don't tell them the truth." said those eyes, blue like the depths of the sea. As if they were still hoping that, somehow, that harsh reality could unravel, be excavated and deepened in order to find a different meaning behind what had happened.

Zack realized that forgetting Sephiroth would be very difficult, if not impossible, for her. Realizing that he had really gone mad and tried to kill them both... it was even more so.

He suffered for her, forced to live a nightmare. Without a home, parents, mentor or hope anymore. She only had them.

He turned back to their friends.

«We didn't recognize them, because of the flames. Midgar has quite a few enemies, probably it was invaders or spies who tried to damage Shinra.»

His justification, somehow, made little sense. That was enough, however, to convince the three present.

«That's a problem, they might come back!» in fact exclaimed the younger boy.

«Calm down, little lion. If they do, we Turks will be enough to put a few bullets between their ugly eyes...» Vaneja interrupted, pointing her gun-shaped hands at him, but with a playful smile. «Now I think we should go. These two bunglers are quite in a bad shape and have to rest. We owe that to them, as they somehow prevented the floor from collapsing under our feet.» she suggested. A very clever idea.

Soon after, the three finished saying goodbye and left the room, leaving them alone.

Without a word, Rainiel curled up on the mattress and pulled the sheet up to her nose, showing her back to Zack after lying on one side.

The boy sighed and touched the back of his neck, nervous and worried.

«Why didn't you want me to tell them the truth?» he asked her, without being intrusive.

«I just want to avoid the scandal. I have no desire to be pestered by journalists and onlookers.» she answered without hesitation. Her voice was cold and devoid of any emotion. «Don't even think I did that for him...» she then continued, skillfully avoiding saying his name, «I don't want to defend him. He doesn't even deserve it...»

With that last sentence, Rainiel pulled the blanket over her head and declared that she had ended the conversation.

Zack felt every little emotion in her. He knew that, in the end, that was a lie. Rain could pretend she didn't care, but she couldn't escape her emotions.

He couldn't help her on this introspective journey of hers. He had to let her get up on her own, with her time. Even if it would've proved almost impossible.

Sephiroth, to her, represented something too important to be forgotten so easily.

* * *

**Chapter 62**

**FIRST CLASS**

Rain had recently been released from the hospital, but had spent several days there. It had been over two weeks since the fire in the archive and the disappearance of her mentor, and her body still ached from simple movements, especially her arm, which the doctors had saved for the skin of her teeth. She had also suffered some fractures due to the falling of the shelves and the blows received, but she was recovering with an impressive speed, as indeed she often did during her childhood. She now knew that that speed of her body's regeneration was due to Yoshua's cells inside her.

The same day she managed to get out of the hospital, she returned to the floor where her room was, already knowing she had to start over with her life, even if the only thing she wanted at that moment was to say goodbye to Shinra and retire elsewhere, to lead the mediocre life of remorse that awaited her. The only reason she couldn't give up yet, she knew, was to have to locate and kill the remaining mako beasts that roamed free and threatened the safety of civilians.

Shrugging that thought off with a shake of shoulders, followed by a small moan, she got out of the elevator and started walking through those corridors so familiar that they evoked memories that hurt her, like the one of the night of the date.

"Damn, Rain..." she scolded herself, when the image of two hands joined together crossed her mind, "Zack told you not to think about it. Give yourself an attitude. That's the past... a bad nightmare to forget..."

She repeated it often, actually, without ever being able to listen to her inner voice.

"Hate him. You have to hate him." she continued to assert herself, to no avail.

She wanted to, really. But she couldn't. She couldn't hate Sephiroth no matter how hard she tried. Nostalgia for him always took over and again, very often, when she snuggled up under the covers at night and closed her eyes, she'd return to wonder where he had gone and why he didn't come back, at least to apologize. To explain the reasons for what he had done to her.

But he never returned. He had no intention of doing that.

«Did you know it too?» whispered a boy belonging to SOLDIER who was part of a small group a few steps away from her.

«Yes, a first-class friend of mine told me. So it's all true?» another replied, shocked, «... has General Sephiroth really disappeared?»

«There are many rumors, only the upper floors of Shinra know for sure. Some say he hasn't returned from a mission.»

«What if he's dead?»

«What nonsense are you babbling on?! The General's the best SOLDIER there is. Nothing and no one in the world could beat him.»

«But if he hasn't returned... there must be a reason.»

«What do you know? Maybe he's sick and he's just in his room.»

Obviously, the environment she lived in didn't make things easier for Rainiel. The absence of such an important person as Sephiroth certainly couldn't go unnoticed. She had been rumored for days, her friends had told her about it during various visits to the hospital but, due to the excuse invented by Zack days before, none of them had mentioned that much.

She decided to stop overhearing discussions that didn't concern her and go back to the bedroom.

«First Genesis, then Angeal… and now him, too. What the hell happens to the elite SOLDIER here?!»

«Don't you really want to think there's a conspiracy behind it?»

The discussions of the group, made up of perhaps five or six guys, took on an increasingly intrigued tone.

Rain could feel the gaze of one of them settle on her. Obviously recognizing her there was not difficult: she was probably the only woman on that floor, and the reddish hair and the bandages wrapped around her arms and legs didn't make it easy for her to blend in with what she was around her.

«Oh? Isn't that the SOLDIER who went out with him?»

«Who, Rainiel? And since when does Sephiroth go on dates with his pupil?»

«You never know anything. Why don't you make yourself useful and go ask her for some information about it?»

«Huh? M... Me?! There's no way I'm going to annoy her!»

«Come on, friend! What could she ever do to you?»

Rain felt offended and very, very annoyed. Not only were those guys talking about her without worrying she could hear it, now they even wanted to reach out to her and tease her with uncomfortable questions she wouldn't answer even under torture.

Luckily she wore a large sweatshirt instead of her uniform that day - or she'd hurt her chest - so she pulled the hood over her head and stepped up to vanish into the dorm area as soon as possible.

She didn't know if that group of coworkers was following her but, as they ran towards her, she noticed one of them cut her way and positioned themselves right in front of her.

Then she pulled off her hood and stamped her foot on the ground, ready to fight. She just didn't want to be disturbed to talk about something - or someone - she just wanted to forget.

«Listen, now. I don't-»

«Rainiel Chanstor, isn't it?»

The girl looked up and found herself in front of a young man who wasn't part of the group of gossips she had met shortly before. He was clearly a more serious person, judging by the sober appearance and custom attire that clearly wasn't attributable to an ordinary second-class SOLDIER. By the way, that face of his wasn't new to her at all.

Blond hair framed his face and thin ruby eyes stared brightly at her.

Rain finished watching him and sighed.

"Chanstor"... that surname was all that was left of her family.

«Yeah, that's me. Have we met before?»

«We did, just now.» the young man laughed for a while, placing a hand on his side. A curious crossbow was hung from a belt strap placed on the dark trousers which housed a space occupied by various forms of materias. He was certainly an experienced fighter. «I'm Narcisse of the first-class. I hope I didn't disturb you. Were you in a hurry?»

The fact that he had used past tense soon made her realize that, however, whether she was really in a hurry or not didn't really matter.

«... Kind of.»

«No problem. It'll take short time. I was looking for you, y'know?»

Rainiel blinked rapidly. She realized that Narcisse wasn't there to chat with her about where Sephiroth had ended up, and this was a real relief.

«Why is that?» she asked indeed.

The boy, comfortable and smiling, immediately answered her doubt.

«Superiors have asked me to bring you some news. It seems that President Shinra is very busy lately, but they wanted to let you know anyway.»

«P... President Shinra, did you say?!» Rain became more pale, «Why on earth would he want to contact me? What's it that he wants me to know?»

«It seems that a certain Rainiel Chanstor put her life in danger to save many civilians in the fire a few weeks ago, so the company's quite keen to reward this formidable hero for her deeds. It really seems... that you've earned a place of honor in SOLDIER's first class!» he communicated with a certain theatricality.

«What?!»

Rainiel couldn't believe her ears. The dream she had been harboring all her life had suddenly come true.

«Heard that right.» Narcisse exclaimed again, raising a thumb in congratulations. «You better move upstairs soon… SOLDIER first-class Rainiel. And congratulations for the achievement!» he shrugged, ready to walk away, «To tell you the truth, in first-class you often get bored anyway, but you always need some extra prodigy to help out here and there. I hope to see you around soon... partner!»

Narcisse left her alone in the hallway, going back to her schedule, while Rain still tried to process what she'd been told.

SOLDIER first-class Rainiel Chanstor.

She had dreamed of that title for so many years that she didn't even remember when, exactly, she really started to carry on her desire to join SOLDIER.

Another person would likely have jumped for joy and rushed off to celebrate that same evening, sharing the good news with friends and family. But she...

She hugged herself in her arms, confused.

Why couldn't she feel happy even a little?

She was disappointed to know that what she had worked so hard for now didn't seem to matter.

She had achieved that goal only after giving up all hope and desire to achieve it. All of this was... cruel.

What nonsense... finally becoming a SOLDIER first-class was a nonsense. She had waited, imagined, hoped for that moment many times... but in a very different way.

She imagined the warm hugs of her parents, who'd visit her in Midgar for the first time and celebrate with their child, finally satisfied and fulfilled. The compliments of her friends and acquaintances from Darefall, her triumphant return as a famous hero in the village, the children who would celebrate her all around her and be inspired by her.

She had also imagined Sephiroth in her plan of joy and happiness. She hoped to show him how much she was worth, and that he'd recommend her for that promotion sooner or later. It would've been the greater pleasure of all, to get a proud smile from him after seeing her carry the division crest, equal to his. She wanted to fight alongside him, no longer as mentor and pupil, but as his partner and his equal.

But none... none of this could ever come true.

Her was a beautiful dream that she'd never see the light of.

She went back to her room, but not to call her friends and celebrate the occasion. She had to change her clothes and go back to the simulator. She had to train. Now an even greater responsibility fell upon her shoulders. She'd soon leave SOLDIER, anyway, but before that she'd become the first-class warrior everyone expected to see in her, and she'd defend the innocent from the dangers that threatened their quiet lives.

Her life had to go on... even beyond the expectations of a shattered dream.

* * *

**Chapter 63**

**ADMIRATION**

«Did the training go well?»

Rainiel was waiting for Zack outside the simulator, with two coffees in hand, freshly taken from the bar and still steaming.

«Well enough, I'd say. Third-class rookies aren't bad, but if Cloud had been there too it would've been more fun.» the boy sighed, taking his drink and starting to walk with her. They now lived in neighboring rooms, and coming home late in the afternoon was always an excuse to chat for a while. «Next time you could at least participate, don't you think? You would've a lot to teach the less experienced.»

«Me?» Rain shook her head. «I don't even know where to start.»

«You've been trained by the strongest SOLDIERS ever. You surely have learned something.» Zack teased her, without thinking.

Rainiel lowered her head, wrapping her hands around the cardboard cup from the bar that held the steaming coffee. In a way he was right, she had learned a lot. Among other things, in recent times she had been able to improve even more with her only strengths.

It had been a month since her promotion to first class. Now Rainiel had tidied up her Aikuchis, upgrading their blade and handle without ever changing weapon permanently, and she had chosen her own custom outfit.

A short, long-sleeved, high-collared reddish jacket covered a fairly low-cut white fitted shirt topped with horizontal straps - two shoulder straps covered her shoulders. A belt, black like the tight trousers, housed the SOLDIER emblem, and finally high boots of the same color as the jacket closed the calves to below the knee.

With that armor not only did Rain feel freer to move and fight, but she had also subconsciously emphasized the femininity of her body. Perhaps it was for this reason that many SOLDIERS, lately, seemed to be interested in her, asking her to train together or in any case asking such proposals.

She had tried to distract herself, somehow, and after a month of trying she hoped she was finally able to forget that one person she wanted to put aside forever... but she was wrong.

As soon as she woke up, when she went back to sleep, whenever she was alone with her thoughts... the memory of Sephiroth came back to visit her. That man was always the most constant and important thought of her. Even though she always tried to associate him with a form of resentment that she told herself she had to feel.

«I prefer to train alone.» she lied then, even though she knew Zack knew her better than she knew herself.

«Yeah... lately, however, I often see you in the simulator with someone. What's the name of that blond SOLDIER who's always buzzing around you?» he insinuated, to make her laugh a little.

Rainiel, however, only raised an eyebrow.

«Are you talking about Narcisse?»

«Just him. What a high-sounding name...»

«He's just an acquaintance and a colleague. He cares about me.»

«Will he care to invite you to dinner sooner or later?»

Invite her to dinner? How had someone else done before him?

Rainiel stopped and squinted her eyes, gesturing in his direction.

«Zack, listen... I know why you're doing this.» she sighed, with no intention of accusing him or arguing. «I know you'd like… me to move on, all of us to move on. I really appreciate it very much, you always do what you can for me.»

The girl walked over to a wall, followed by him, and she leaned back against it.

«It's just that I...»

Again, memories of him assailed her.

Years spent chasing a dream, and seconds spent kissing for the first and last time a man she wanted to always stay by her side. What was left of all of this?

«… I'm not yet ready to pretend that everything behind me has never been real. I'm not able to replace old memories with new ones as if nothing happened.»

She tried to explain herself as best she could.

Training with other people, spending time with other men... it wasn't the same thing. It never would've been.

Her heart had plunged into an abyss from which she would've emerged very hardly and only with time, assuming she really did.

Neither Narcisse nor anyone else could ever fill the void Sephiroth had left in her. Never. And this awareness hurt her.

Zack put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

«I know, Rain... I'm just trying to make you smile, that's what I do best.» he chuckled, for a moment, managing to amuse her at least a little, «And I'll always be with you, no matter how long it takes to see the heady and lively Rainiel I know for years back.»

He ruffled her hair a little and her friend pinched his arm.

A little later they were interrupted by footsteps and a voice getting closer and closer.

«SOLDIER first-class Rainiel!»

That had attracted the attention of the warrior, who turned curiously in the directionwhere it came from.

She noticed a girl who was probably a few years younger than her, even though she really looked like a little girl, who strode over to her and stared at her with eyes shining with admiration.

«It's you, isn't it? They talk a lot about you around!» she kept saying her.

Rainiel, confused, looked at her and then at him, who gave her a wink to invite her to talk and moved a step back from them, so as not to disturb.

«Um...» Rainiel looked at the younger again, curious about her. «Yeah, that'me. Were you looking for me?»

«Yup! Meeting you was my dream!» the little girl, a young woman with long brown hair and a large pair of glasses, hopped on the spot gleefully, «I'm a big fan of yours! I know that you've been a student of Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth, that you've taken part in many missions and you've even risked your own life to avoid the tragedy during the fire here at Shinra, a month ago! When I heard about you on the news, you immediately inspired me. You hardly ever hear about the exploits of SOLDIER women who give their all, but you managed to assert yourself!» she told her.

Rainiel was amazed. She didn't even know the news had talked about her so much.

«Oh… I haven't actually done anything that much, but I'm very glad to hear you say it. What's your name?»

«Senna! My name's Senna, I was only promoted to SOLDIER third-class yesterday! I immediately tried to join the division when I heard about you, I'm from the slums!»

The girl showed a toothy smile. Apparently, she was stronger than she appeared. She had no weapons with her, so she probably hadn't even started training yet.

«Nice to meet you, Senna.» Rain gave her a welcoming smile, without saying anything else.

Zack cleared his throat, probably inviting her to be a little more sociable, which Rain didn't do very well, especially at the time.

«I... I don't want to seem cheeky, but I want to ask you something!» again, Senna showed she was very excited and had great admiration for her.

«Hmm? Oh... no problem, just ask.» accepted the other.

«My dream is to arrive in first class and become a very famous SOLDIER, I swear I'll make it sooner or later! But I'd really like some help from a more experienced person to do it...»

The little girl became a little embarrassed, and she lowered her head, before lowering into a kind of bow.

«So I wanted to ask you, SOLDIER Rainiel... when I improve, will you become my mentor? Please!»

The eldest opened her eyes more and even Zack raised his eyebrows, surprised and thrilled.

The young woman seemed to think a lot about it, not knowing how to answer.

Becoming a mentor in her turn... she had been in first class for a month and already someone was asking to be taken as her student. This filled her with pride, of course. Once that would've been the height of her happiness: inspiring others to become heroes, brave SOLDIERS to protect people.

But now that she knew the truth...

«It'd be an honor for me to be able to pass on what I know to a young SOLDIER like you, Senna, believe me.» she answered then.

The little girl opened her mouth in a smile, convinced that she was accepting.

«... But, actually, I've nothing to offer you. I've nothing to offer anyone. I'm not the hero they describe on the news... just a girl who believed in an unreal dream.» she sighed.

Zack gave her a confused look and tried to come over to interrupt her, but she continued on anyway.

«My idea is to leave Shinra as soon as possible. There is nothing left for me here. And if I could give someone else advice, it'd be to do the same thing. SOLDIER looks like a daring elite covered in glory... but it's nothing more than a den of monsters.»

Rainiel's expression was somber and tired.

That of Senna... the representation of a willing young soul who is suddenly disappointed.

«Don't get too ambitious about this place, Senna. There is certainly a better way to use your skills and fortitude. Definitely... better than training with someone like me.»

The conversation ended there. Rain hastily said goodbye and walked away, while Senna waved a shy "goodbye" with folded arms and sad face.

Zack mimed an "excuse her" with his lips and then ran after his friend.

«Rain!»

«C'mon. Say it.»

«Why did you tell her that way?!»

«Because it's the truth. If someone had told me the same things some time ago, I would've spared myself a lot of suffering.»

«She was just a little girl!»

«Yes, indeed.»

Rainiel arrived at that very moment on the threshold of her room and turned to look at Zack, agitated.

«And I don't want a little girl to suffer from the same dream I believed in. She knows nothing of the experiments conducted at Shinra, of the truth behind the fire, of the monsters on the loose that we've dealt with in recent weeks. Do you want her to become a lab rat like me too? Or maybe to almost get killed by a mad General who thinks he's the Messiah?»

She raised her voice, eyes shining.

Zack lowered his hands, not knowing how to respond.

«I'll may sound mean, Zack, but if I've done what I've done it's because I don't want other innocent people to know the pain I've felt... the pain I keep feeling every day.» she finished in a broken voice.

Zack looked into her eyes and, before she entered her new room, he understood: Rainiel would never forget Sephiroth. The wound in her heart would never heal.

As much as he tried to help her... the Rainiel he once knew had died in that fire, on the cold blade of the Masamune, and she'd never return.


	21. His Flesh and Blood / Time for Revenge / Gift of Yoshua / Unexpected Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The adventures of SOLDIER first-class Rainiel continue and she, after an unfortunate encounter with the last man in the world she wants to see, will have to face an enemy and come face to face with the one who she constantly tries to forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapters includes:
> 
> • Chapter 64: His flesh and blood  
> • Chapter 65: Time for revenge  
> • Chapter 66: Gift of Yoshua  
> • Chapter 67: Unexpected hero

* * *

**Chapter 64**

**HIS FLESH AND BLOOD**

Time passed swiftly and mercilessly, so autumn came with its dull colors, even though Midgar always remained that dark gray that had always belonged to it.

Rainiel was proceeding with her trainings and had had the opportunity to meet again and apologize to Senna, who was thrilled, and to be forgiven she agreed to go to see one of the workouts in the third class training room.

Although she had met new people - her, Narcisse and all her colleagues in the first class - and consolidated her old friendships, she couldn't find the serenity of the past. She still couldn't forget.

And one morning, suddenly, she was awakened by an urgent message requiring her attention.

She dressed quickly, pleased to be able to move into the clothes she desired rather than the typical second-class uniform, and she stared at the Aikuchis with sheaths attached to her belt. She left the room, going to the elevator.

Zack practically arrived with her, so it was immediately clear to both of them that they'd work together.

«Did they hire you too?» he asked indeed after the pleasantries.

«Exactly. Apparently another one of those mako beasts showed up, dangerously close to Midgar.»

«I've already gone to inquire. It seems that they've spotted it south of the slums, in a desert area. We have to eliminate it as soon as possible.»

«I agree.»

Rainiel was more determined than ever and she had no intention of failing the mission. She was now completely healed, she was far stronger than she was before and she fought like someone who had nothing more to lose. Eliminating the R-Copies had become her life's goal, so that no monster could harm an innocent again.

Entering the elevator, they both went down to a lower floor, where they'd find the heliport.

A helicopter awaited them in the open, but to reach it they would've to cross part of the floor on foot.

As they walked quickly, however, something inevitably interrupted them.

A shadow as white and disturbing as a ghost passed behind the two of them, dragging a white coat behind him.

«Look who's back...» chuckled a high-pitched, sly voice, delighted to say the least by what he had in front of him, eyes covered by thick black goggles. «If it isn't Rainiel Chanstor.»

Rain recognized immediately that tone of voice and realized that the omission of Zack from his targeted greeting wasn't due to forgetfulness. He wanted to get her attention.

Stiffening, she spun around noticing the presence of the lean, bent man she'd never want to meet again. Someone inevitably linked to her, and not just that. Basically... he was her creator.

Her eyes and her chest caught fire at the sight of his ugly face, and Zack noticed it.

«Professor Hojo.» she realized with tight lips, while Zack tried to avoid unpleasant inconveniences.

«Sorry, sir, but we're leaving on a mission and can't afford any delays.» in fact he tried to detect, although neither of them wanted to hear him, in the end.

Hojo held his hands behind his back and smiled as he looked Rain from head to toe, as if he were inspecting his greatest masterpiece. Which perhaps, in fact, Rainiel really was. One of the two most satisfying results of him.

«I see. I hear you've been promoted to first class, my compliments. I can understand tha cause of all these missions...» he commented, letting slip - and perhaps not so much accidentally - a detail that Rain didn't miss.

All these missions? Hojo seemed to have been watching her lately. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for her to leave for all kinds of gigs now that she was a first-class SOLDIER.

She hardly wanted to answer him. The man disgusted her. The fact that he was always so calm and didn't care about anything other than himself and his lab games... someone once called him "a walking mass of complexes", and he was absolutely right to think so.

Being there and arguing with him, with the man who had caused her all these problems, didn't intrigue her at all. She had other things to look after...

Except that the elder decided to provoke her.

«There is great talk of you and your abilities around here, first-class SOLDIER Rainiel. It seems like a miracle that a prodigy like you has finally appeared in the higher ranks, a prodigy who probably might one day even hold the position of General.»

He finished that sentence with a smirk. He had measured out every word to make it as annoying as possible to her ears. He knew everything about her... he probably had been spying on her all that time. Of course he also knew which keys to touch to make her impatient.

In fact, the warrior's blood boiled in her veins. The instinct to throw herself at him and rip that ugly expression off his face with a well-placed hand was a powerful temptation that barely held back.

Zack walked over to her, realizing where the conversation was headed.

«SOLDIER already has a General.» she hissed nervously as her blue irises reflected the inner storm that haunted her.

«It had.» Hojo, of course, felt he had to correct her, «After all, SOLDIER's General Sephiroth has been missing for more than a month, am I wrong?»

Rainiel was about to explode and release all the anger that flooded her. Zack didn't know, but she and the man in front of him did: Hojo was talking about his own son as if he didn't care about him either.

«And don't you worry about the fact that nobody knows where he is or that he has been declared missing?» she asked, just to check that her assumptions were correct.

The scientist shrugged, as if he didn't care.

«Why should I?» he asked, unperturbed, «Even if Sephiroth was the best, that doesn't mean he'll be the best forever.»

Rain had reached her limit, but he had to add one more thing.

«Men like him don't just get lost. If he's still alive, he'll come back here with his legs. There is no reason to get upset.»

It was the climax. Speaking of his son like that... of his flesh and blood... was it possible that Hojo didn't even consider him as such? He had known him since he was born, from the exact moment he had snatched him from the arms of the woman who had brought him into the world. He had conducted experiments on him before he was even born, and even after. Sephiroth had grown up before his eyes, had become an adult and a warrior as he watched and studied him, recorded his abilities and improvements. Yet despite all of this... he responded to his disappearance by shrugging, as if it didn't really concern him.

She wasn't lying, saying that the General would be able to defend himself and return without the help of others, but it was unacceptable anyway. As much as Sephiroth had hurt and disappointed Rain, as much as she tried to hate him as well as the scientist who had planned his birth and his future without ever giving him a choice....

She couldn't resist. She moved. She wanted to get her hands on him and then...

Hojo didn't even bother. He didn't seem worried at all even though he knew that if a SOLDIER of Rain's caliber decided to beat him up for good, he probably would be reduced to ashes.

He didn't get scared because he knew very well that Zack would stop her. In fact, shortly thereafter, two hands firmly grabbed her elbow and pulled her back.

«Rain!» the boy blew through clenched teeth, bringing her back to reality. «Don't get any ideas!»

His was a whisper, one Hojo didn't even hear, but the man in front of them grinned anyway.

«Weren't you two late?» he said indeed.

«Yup. We're leaving.»Zack answered for both of them.

«Good luck, then.»

Rainiel was still trembling with agitation. The urge to go back and do what she had been thinking about was great, but Zack made sure to pull her away with him to the heliport.

Hojo stayed behind, watching them until they disappeared around the nearest corner, and only then did he retrace his steps, amused.

«We'll have time to talk... the Reunion will soon begin.» he babbled again, laughing to himself, and finally returning to his dark laboratory, to prepare for the moment he had been waiting for for decades.

* * *

**Chapter 65**

**TIME FOR REVENGE**

Rainiel started walking faster and Zack had to run after her.

«Rain! What the hell is wrong with you? You were about to attack Hojo!» the boy asked for information, looking at her worriedly.

She didn't give him a single look. She was grim-faced and marched fast.

«No one would have minded. That man is a sick egoist.»

«Yeah, and the director of the science department too. Do you want to be demoted or expelled from the division, by chance?»

Rain put her feet on the ground and her friend also stopped abruptly, to hear what she had to say.

«You think I care? SOLDIER can also sink to hell with the rest of Shinra as far as I'm concerned. It wouldn't even surprise me. But that man... Hojo is the real monster here!» she pointed down the hall, as if he were still there, and narrowed her eyes impatiently. «You heard what he said, didn't you?»

Zack took a deep breath.

«Yes, that in short he doesn't care about Sephiroth. What a great news. Since when does Hojo care about anyone other than himself? Sephiroth makes no difference.»

«He should, instead! He... he is...!»

Rainiel couldn't tell. Or rather, she could've, but didn't feel like telling him that secret. It hurt her… to know that despite what Sephiroth had done to her, she somehow still felt indebted to him and missed him. She wanted to keep his secrets, and at the same time forget everything about him. Just the memory of him made her sick.

«Nevermind. C'mon, they're waiting for us.»

Rainiel resumed walking after shaking her head, determined to focus solely and exclusively on the mission.

Zack was confused, but he knew what was going on in his friend's mind and he knew her inner problems. He wouldn't have insisted. He joined her again and walked with her to the heliport.

A squad of infantry members, who also has Cloud among them, awaited to assist them in the fight that was about to go down. The mako beast sighted less than an hour ago was dangerous and could'e approached the slums, claiming victims. It had to be eliminated first. So Rainiel jumped on the aircraft and the entire squadron left for the place of interest marked on their digital maps.

They landed in a safe area very close to that of the enemy's apparition, which overlooked a sort of huge basin, or perhaps a valley between two very high rocky walls. The ground around them was completely barren and rife with cracks, while Midgar was but a distant plate upon which the sun shone unusually warm for the season.

«It must be here somewhere...» Cloud reasoned as he got out of the helicopter last, the rifle ready in hand.

«If it is, we'll see it very soon.» Zack answered, before making a gesture to him and to all his colleagues, «Get ready. Not a hint of hesitance!»

«Yes sir!» the infantrymen exclaimed in chorus, preparing ammunition.

After that, a high-pitched cry rang out in the sky. One all too familiar.

Rainiel immediately remembered and rolled her eyes, noticing the whole team mobilize in the direction of the sound.

«Stop! Wait!» she cried in fact.

Fortunately, she was heard, but her companions were quite confused.

«What's going on, Rain?» Zack asked, not understanding.

«This sound… I'd recognize it anywhere. Zack, do you remember the creature that attacked Sephiroth and me on the journey to Darefall?»

She had managed to enclose in a single sentence three figures that tormented her and kept her awake at night: the mako beasts, the missing General and her destroyed hometown, but now wasn't the time to get distracted.

«Are you saying that...»

«It's the same cry, I would swear to that If it is the same creature, however, we must pay close attention. It has hurt both of us, and as if that weren't enough, it also managed to escape in the conditions it was in. It won't go down so easily.»

Zack nodded and turned back to the team.

«Y'all heard Rainiel? Maximum attention and seriousness.»

Following the umpteenth 'yes sir', everyone started running towards a not very steep wall that would've led them safely to the heart of the valley.

Reaching this, a younger soldier started to dash forward, but Rain grabbed him by the shoulder pulling him behind a rock and gesturing for everyone to stop.

Zack leaned over the obstacle and noticed a large green-skinned beast with luminescent veins in plain sight on the surface, with a pointed beak and deeply scarred body. It was dragging a wing behind it, it probably would never recover and therefore it couldn't fly for long periods. That didn't mean, however, that it was less dangerous. It was huge and clearly bothered by that condition. It'd have been angry very easily.

«We have to surround it.» Rain announced, before pointing to two guys behind her. «You and Zack will attack it from behind, you'll have to stealthily cross the valley to the best point for the attack.» Immediately afterwards she also pointed to another infantryman, «You and Cloud, however, will stay with me. We'll attack first and distract it.»

The other SOLDIER nodded and guided his companions along the side of the basin, always hiding beyond the rocks while the beast rested, weary from the journey. If it had soared now, it'd probably have reached Midgar and caused extensive damage.

«What's the plan?» Cloud asked when everyone was in position.

«Easy question...» Rain pulled out her Aikuchis, which reflected the sun's rays. Their handles were new, red and gold, like flames. They were a symbol with multiple meanings. «... we tear this enemy to pieces.»

Less than a second later, the blond saw her disappear before hie eyes.

Rain had dived forward, landing with her feet on the rock face where she pushed herself to jump higher.

In midair, a fire spell was born between her fingers and, with a powerful blast, Rainiel flew onto the backs of the creature that had once nearly killed her. It rained sparks on its back, forcing it to lean against the ground as it let out a startled, painful cry.

The fight had started with that attack.

Rainiel landed near the tail of the monster, which whipped the air, and with a somersault she dodged the danger, turning back. Cloud and his companion flanked her, riddling the left side of the enemy who had turned with shots.

Lightnings rained down on its already wounded wing on the opposite side, a sign that Zack had also gone off to attack with his two aides.

Rain pursed her lips and looked closely at the beast's body, looking for any weak point that would allow her to end this fight as soon as possible.

She once felt fear or even pity for what were, in effect, laboratory experiments just like her. Animals and creatures of all kinds subjected to her own treatment, in such a way that they became copies of her, but they had become aggressive and, for some strange reason, were now roaming free.

Rain knew all about them, she knew they were as innocent as she was, but because of her hesitation many people had died in Darefall. She'd never allow the same to happen to the slum dwellers and Midgar.

Precisely for this reason... she had to put aside her compassion towards those creatures. They could no longer be saved. Likewise, no one could save her from who she really was anymore.

With a run, she took a leap that carried her to a laudable height. She had trained so hard that she wasn't even surprised.

In that instant, the mako monster flapped its wing and hit the infantryman next to Cloud, sending him into the air and into the mountain wall. The blond-haired boy ran after him, making sure he was okay, but he was unconscious. There was no need to worry, actually, because he'd recover quickly, he had no serious injuries.

Rainiel had dodged the attack and slid right onto its wing while it was still raised, reaching its back.

The monster noticed it and, annoyed, began to rotate on itself to get rid of the intruder, who however clung firmly to some spikes that grew between its wings. Her idea was to reach for the neck and hit the sweet spot with both Aikuchis. It couldn't defend herself if she was on top of it and not around.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it whirl the other wing angrily, right at Zack and his companions.

The first jumped and skilfully dodged the blow, but one of the two infantrymen was hit and thrown at the other. Soon after they were both on the ground, stunned.

Rainiel decided to force the mako beast to stop before it struck one of her last two allies. She thrust one of the two Aikuchis into a crease in the skin and the creature stopped, screaming.

Zack landed on the ground and climbed onto its hind leg while the enemy was distracted. He joined Rain and the two exchanged a knowing look. They had to put an end to that story.

The Buster sword and the Aikuchi rose high.

Unfortunately, however, the beast had a great idea at the wrong time.

Its body shook under their feet and rose into the sky as the creature flapped its wounded wings to detach itself from the ground. Shortly after, it began to rotate and the two lost their balance.

Rainiel grabbed the spike pointed earlier and clung to it as her legs dangled into the void. The monster was sliding them.

Zack nearly fell but clung to his friend's boot, trying to hit the monster's back with his sword to weaken him and make him return to the ground.

The creature, however, steeled itself and moved its two enormous limbs, pushing itself forward. For it that was a trivial joke, not even a bother, but the speed it assumed made the SOLDIER lose her grip.

Rain and Zack plunged into void from a frightening height. Below them, the ground was fast approaching. And in a lethal way.

* * *

**Chapter 66**

**GIFT OF YOSHUA**

Rain covered her face with her arms and reasoned quickly. She was falling into air very quickly, and with her so was Zack. When she opened her eyes, she knew what to do.

The rock face was pierced by newly born roots which in a few milliseconds grew and quickly extended into the air. Strong and steady, they welcomed the two bodies in free fall, saving them from certain death.

Rainiel, however, miscalculated. When she reached the great branches created by her power, some of them were still too fragile and broke. Her deadly fall was only cushioned and made less dangerous, but she still fell to the barren ground earning more bruises and cuts.

«Rain!!!» Zack peered out from the shrubbery bridge, «Are you okay?!»

It took Rainiel a while to feel her limbs again, a few seconds to move them. She hadn't broken anything, thankfully, but the impact hadn't been pleasant. She raised her elbows and dropped her knees to the ground, lifting a thumb in response.

She didn't see Zack, but she heard him scream.

«Careful!!! Move from there!!!»

Rain was still bewildered by the pain, but she recognized the shadow that obscured the ground she stood on. The beast was about to crush her, returning to the ground.

She tried to move but one ankle failed and she fell again.

Luckily someone grabbed her and pushed her away, landing next to her soon after.

Rain recognized Cloud's worried face about a meter above her, the boy was checking that she was okay.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

«Thanks, Cloud. You saved me.» she said, getting to her feet.

He shook his head, a little timidly.

«You would've done the same for me.»

«You're damn right.»

Zack soon arrived next to them, and he had descended again into the basin along the rocky wall.

The infantry defeated by the beast were safe, now far from the area where they had moved.

Rainiel still had her Aikuchis, recovered before Cloud took her away, saving her, so she squeezed her fingers on both of them.

«Are you both okay? Nothing broken, I hope.»

«As fresh as a daisy.» Rain commented sarcastically, «Now let's destroy the enemy.»

The three charged as the monster searched for them. Rain saw in its eyes dark memories of a time not too distant but which seemed to belong to a previous life:

The night of the journey to Darefall, her visions that almost had lead her to death. She now understood that it was the contact with the monster's blood that gave her those strange hallucinations, so she knew how to avoid being unnecessarily distracted. That same creature had injured the mighty Sephiroth, distracted by the intention of protecting his pupil.

It had hurt both of them and for this Rain hated it more than she hated the others she had already met and defeated.

She bared her teeth in a battle cry and cast the Fulgor spell at it, more of a warning of what was about to happen than to actually hurt it.

Cloud fired in the direction of its wings, to prevent it from flying away or using them to attack, while Zack slid under its chin, attacking one of its paws and dealing significant damage with the heavy Buster sword. Rain, on the other hand, leapt back into the air and whirled swiftly like lightning towards its face. Her Aikuchis hit its beak and blinded one eye of the monster, after which she carefully landed on the ground.

Her legs and hips ached from the recent fall, but that wasn't going to stop her either.

«Get away!» she yelled at Zack and Cloud, who were still hitting the body of the besieged beast.

As it moaned in pain and blindly attacjed without any good results, Rain dropped one knee and let her hands touch the dusty ground.

Her two companions positioned themselves behind her.

Cloud was very confused.

«Rainiel... what are you trying to do?» he asked.

Zack kept him from getting any closer, blocking his way with one hand.

«Stop here, Cloud. Leave it to Rain. Now you'll see a curious little show.» he laughed already sure of victory.

The younger one nodded and backed away as Rainiel concentrated and took a deep breath. She lifted her eyelids confidently less than five seconds later, fixing her determined eyes right on the adverse creature.

«Now sink into despair.»

Her's seemed an evil omen but, in reality, it was like an order. The ground beneath her hands vibrated, began to tremble, and carried out her will.

Rainiel had inherited the gift of Yoshua of bending nature to her will, even giving life to it. Probably the intentions of the alien who had fallen to the planet thousands of years earlier were to repopulate the world with the green of harmony, but nothing prevented her human descendant... from turning that power into a weapon.

And so, Rainiel created a real earthquake. Two huge faults split the ground and swiftly approached the winged monster, who noticed it and tried in vain to fly away, while its paws inevitably fell back into the great gaps.

Rain bit her lip, concentrated, and pressed her palms harder against the surface. She had an idea in mind, but controlling her powers wasn't easy. She had learned to do this over time, especially on her own to avoid accidentally hurting someone, and to use them she often catalyzed her negative emotions and used them as fuel to create an offensive effect. Remembering the anger and suffering of recent months, the faults and the ground became softer, or rather too much, becoming real quicksand.

The beast screamed and Zack and Cloud took more worried steps backwards. The younger boy, in particular, didn't understand at all what was going on.

As the monster was being sucked out of the earth, however, with a furious scream it raised one of the enormous wings into the air and, with the small claws at their ends, struck a blow in the direction of Rain, who couldn't immediately notice the danger, since she was concentrating solely on using her gift.

Zack, however, realized that if it hit her it'd seriously hurt her. He ran up to her, grabbing her by her arms and trying to pull her away, but its claws closed in on them, right on the legs, anchoring them both to the ground. Inevitably, the two also began to be sucked into the great chasm.

Rain had no other choice: she made the ground as solid as before and pinned the beast into it. Only problem: neither she nor Zack could free themselves from its grip.

The monster kept pulling them to itself, so angry it thought about killing them instead of struggling and surviving. Its beak opened wide and Rainiel looked pale at rows of long, sharp teeth that couldn't wait to clench on her.

She had to think of something. And quickly.

* * *

**Chapter 67**

**UNEXPECTED HERO**

Zack tried to grab the sword that rested on his back, but the claw holding him stopped him from doing so.

Rainiel tried to figure out a way to save both of them, but couldn't think of anything. The monster had acted smarter than ever, blocking both of them, and was now moving fast.

Cloud knew he was their only hope. He aimed properly at the beast's face, high enough not to risk hitting his friends, and fired.

The enemy roared but didn't give up and, even worse, after a while the shots stopped.

The young infantryman tried over and over to pull the trigger again, but to no avail. His weapon was unloaded. He pulled off the snare that held the gun and threw it to the ground, looking around. He could reach the weapon of one of his companions, but they were all too far away. He wouldn't have made it in time. He then thought of running to Zack and using the Buster sword to cut off the claws that were clutching his friends. He started to run but, soon, still holding them tightly, the monster lifted that same weird paw to hit Cloud, sending him back from where he had come, with empty and sore lungs.

Rainiel realized that, alone, he couldn't help them. She and Zack were in tremendous danger, but she had to do something... there had to be a solution...

She closed her eyes and tried to reason, but it was all in vain. When the thought of her death touched her, she regretted not even succeeding in her intent. She would've left many things incomplete in that world. Most of all, she felt the regret of never seeing again the man who had abandoned her, or of not preventing Hojo from continuing his experiments before leaving SOLDIER. She had failed in that too...

And then, when she opened her eyes, the solution rained from the sky.

A bolt of steel, a cruel death sentence for the creature who wanted to harm her.

A gush of blood soon turned into a river as the monster's eyes became more dull... as its head fell, severed from its body with a single clean and decisive cut, one with a precision unique in the world. The tightening around the bodies of the two SOLDIERS slowed down, became nothing but a weight on the chest and legs.

The two thought first of freeing themselves and, only later, of trying to understand what had just beheaded the monster that was giving them so many problems.

And when they realized the truth, Rainiel's heart leapt with a force never known before.

Water-colored eyes, bright and like a snake's or a cat's, focused on her, who was frightened and astonished.

Thousands of thoughts and memories crossed the girl's mind. She had seen those eyes hundreds of times, in many different contexts.

Proud eyes that rewarded her for her talent. Stern eyes that urged her to improve. Eyes worried about her state of mind. Curious eyes that surveyed her whole body. Disappointed eyes of one who felt betrayed because of a secret. Eyes of a killer who wanted to kill her... and who finally repented.

She knew those clear irises better than anyone, and that made her happy and sad at the same time.

A black wing dissolved into the sky like a dark ghost as feathers gently landed on the ground.

The man in front of them was crouched, having landed from above, and stood up with a move that wasn't only agile but also, in a sense, elegant. His gaze also lingered for a long time on Rainiel's, while his lips parted for a moment, as if they wanted to speak, only to close regretfully. He still wore the SOLDIER uniform, as if it were a reminder to him of who he had once been. The silvery hair, soft and very long, moved lightly with every movement of him. His hand was still holding the long sword from which the blood of the newly eliminated enemy dripped.

Rain couldn't even pronounce his name but, luckily, Zack was quicker than her.

«Sephiroth!» he exclaimed. That word was born as a surprise, almost happy, but even before finishing it took on a defensive and furious tone.

The boy pulled Rainiel back, grabbing her by the jacket, then he drew his great sword and swung it right in front of him, protective.

«What the hell are you doing here? Do you wish to finish the job you started?» he accused him angrily, without taking his eyes off him.

Sephiroth didn't move from where he had stopped, a few steps from the beast's body. Watching Zack react like that at the very sight of him seemed to hurt him like a punch in the ribs. After all, he used to call him his friend, once. Before he caused all those problems.

«I won't hurt you.» he explained immediately, spreading his hands a little, now farther away from his hips. «If I had wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have saved your lives at all.» he added, perhaps in a slightly obvious way.

«We could've saved ourselves.» exclaimed the SOLDIER, somewhat hesitantly. He looked at him in bewilderment. «I- I... I don't understand... why do you...?»

He couldn't finish the sentence. But it wasn't necessary.

«Why are you here?»

A hand rested on Zack's shoulder, inviting him to clear the way. He did it, not because he really wanted to, just for the surprise of the moment.

Rainiel, who had just asked that question, moved forward, looking at Sephiroth with an unreadable expression.

The young man's shoulders seemed to stiffen and then relax at hearing her voice and seeing her approach, but that didn't make it easier to respond.

«To help you.» he said in fact.

«Sure... help us.» Zack looked somewhat angry, which wasn't like him. «Why should you help us?! You almost killed both of us, just a month ago!»

Sephiroth took a step back. For a moment, and only for that moment, it was possible to notice an incredible pain in his eyes. An unprecedented confusion, the fog of indecision and remorse. His mind was probably crowded with thousands of thoughts right now.

«... I know.» he only managed to say. «And I regret it.»

«As if!» roared the younger, while Rain remained silent and, many meters behind, Cloud caught his breath and got up. «Don't get too close to him, Rain. He's just looking for another way to end us…» he then said to his friend.

«I repeat that I have no intention to kill you.» he said again, more severe and impatient. Now he looked like the Sephiroth of once again, the solitary uncompromising General. Either way, he was better than the merciless angel who had set the building on fire in an attempt to avenge his mother.

«How do we know that?»

«You don't, but I think it's appropriate to talk about it. I'm asking you to let me explain myself...»

«Explain yourself?!» Zack cut him off and moved the Buster sword again, ready to throw himself on him to fight to the death if necessary. «Why should we hear your explanation? What I do know is that you sent us both to the hospital, but we could've ended up straight at the cemetery!»

«Zack.»

Rain's voice, once again, was strangely calm yet authoritative. She didn't want to impose on him, but to convince him to listen to her.

The boy looked at her, confused.

«He said he can explain.» she repeated his words, not taking her eyes off him for a moment.

Sephiroth watched her but realized that something was obviously wrong.

«I'm curious to know what he has to say.» she then finished, almost intimidatingly.

Knowing why what had happened was her biggest concern, it had been for a whole month. Every night, every day... every moment kept wondering why Sephiroth had done all of that and why he didn't come back.

Maybe he was waiting for the right moment? What if that was the right time?

«Rainiel, no!» her friend tried to dissuade her..

«Please.» she added coldly, giving him a single glance.

Zack knew what she was feeling, or at least he could imagine it. Seeing him must've had an incredible impact on her, especially after what had happened.

Did she hate him? Did she miss him? Zack didn't know, but to keep her from finding out what was hiding behind what had happened during that fire would've been evil of him.

«Okay… I'll let him explain. But that doesn't mean I trust him.» he conceded.

Sephiroth could understand. He wouldn't have demanded of them something as important as trust. Not after hurting and leaving both of them on fire.

At the same time, the fact that Rain had insisted made him very happy.

«Thank you.» he said softly, probably more to Rain than to Zack. A little later he looked away.

«There is a place, not far away, where we can calmly discuss.»

«Should we follow you?» Zack continued, «Why don't you explain here and let's get it over with?»

«Because, if Shinra were to know that I am here, they'd force me to return to Midgar.» he cut it short, tired of talking about things not inherent to the real speech that mattered to everyone.

Zack looked around: surely they should've called a rescue team and, even if only one of the infantrymen woke up and saw him, the rumor that Sephiroth was still alive and free would've reached the city and Shinra would've really done everything to get their weapon back. Sephiroth obviously had no intention of returning to the place that had destroyed him and, as much as Zack had the right to insist and not trust him, he knew very well that that was the truth. If he didn't want to wrest from Rain the chance to find out what made Sephiroth behave that way - try to kill her, then repent and cure her, and finally run away - he would've to accept, of course keeping his guard up.

«We'll follow you.» Rainiel revealed firmly, sheathing her weapons and preparing for the journey. She grabbed the phone to call the headquarters and warn that they needed a medical team to recover the wounded, while they headed elsewhere for the - obviously false - appearance of an additional threat.

Behind them came Cloud, who didn't know much about what happened, but not being a fool he understood that something must have happened... something that most likely related to that fire that everyone had been talking about for weeks.

«... All of us.» he then proposed. He wanted to go with them, without remaining in the dark about everything.

Zack wanted to refuse and tell him to return to the base to avoid endangering him too, but Rainiel nodded. She seemed pretty comfortable with her choice, even if that meant they would've to tell Cloud the whole truth about what had happened lately.

Sephiroth didn't seem to have a problem accepting that he followed too. After all, what right did he have to make claims in a context like that? Plus, if he knew Rain's friend well like she had told him, the boy would've kept his mouth shut and understood everything without too much trouble.

He nodded then a single time, somewhat grateful to have been heard. Obviously, the credit went to the girl. He did not expect her to decide to listen to him, but obviously Rainiel didn't cease to amaze him constantly. That was what he especially liked about her.

He moved, ready to lead the group to the previously named place.

The discussion was going to last a while, but it was worth trying to explain to them.


	22. Oasis / Heated Argument / The Only Reason / Passion and Indecision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunited after a long time, Rain and Sephiroth have to deal with their feelings, including a strong sense of guilt. A pact of alliance could save their broken relationship, but it will all depend on them alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 68: Oasis  
> • Chapter 69: Heated argument  
> • Chapter 70: The only reason  
> • Chapter 71: Passion and indecision

* * *

**Chapter 68**

**OASIS**

After a few minutes of travel and following the call that allowed Shinra to send medical support to the unconscious infantry left in the valley, the four warriors reached the area that Sephiroth had spoken about earlier.

They went back down to a small arid hill from which they could see what kind of place it was: a curious patch of green rose in the desert area, complete with a small lake, certainly of an artificial nature. The flowery patch also housed a large wooden mansion that had all the air of being an uninhabited villa.

«What kind of place is this?» Zack asked confused and fascinated by that view, as he walked right behind Sephiroth.

Rainiel was behind him and, even further behind, Cloud closed the line. Both were silent and determined to reach the villa before getting lost in chatter.

«Shinra calls it Oasis.» the General explained, paying attention as always to where he put his feet, highlighting a safe path that the three younger ones, behind him, could have followed immediately afterwards. «Initially it was intended as a place of experimentation for the fertility of the soil, but it seems that this pretext was just a facade to mask the truth that is hidden in the villa.»

«And what would it be?» the black-haired boy kept asking.

«The Oasis is just a branch of the science department. Namely, Hojo conducted some experiments right here. I spent the last month in the mansion, and I found enough evidence to say with certainty that part of the Yoshua Project took place within those walls.»

Rainiel gasped, impressed. She thought there was nothing more to know about her origins now, but as usual she was wrong. That project had much deeper roots and apparently it wasn't only linked to Midgar but also to the surrounding territories and those further away, such as Darefall.

The walk ended a few minutes later, when all four reached the Oasis. The entrance to the mansion featured a large wooden staircase that led to a dirt road surrounded by green lawn.

«Why this place exactly?» Zack continued to say impatiently. He still didn't trust him and, therefore, didn't find the idea of entering the villa before knowing the whole truth that inviting.

Sephiroth, a few steps up, looked at him from over one of the iron shoulder straps of his uniform.

«When I left Shinra, my only idea was to force myself into exile. It was never my intention to return... although perhaps I should've made sure of some things before disappearing.»

He didn't look at Rainiel directly, but she knew what he was referring to. He certainly didn't mean that he had to make sure he killed her... just that he had spent the last month worrying that maybe his pupil was dead because of him. Was that the reason why Sephiroth had given her that intense look when he had seen her for the first time after all that time? It seemed he was really pleased to know she was okay, at least physically.

«Anyway, I came across one of the R-Copies. After defeating it, I realized that I could at least contribute to your work from afar by eliminating the mako creatures. I knew of the Oasis but not of its true nature and, when I reached this place, I found inside it a device for locating those beasts. It seems that the R-Copies were created in the basement of this villa.» he revealed.

«So... this is a laboratory.» said Zack.

«Not apparently, but it is.» replied the other, «That's why I brought you here. Our meeting was just an accident, even though I knew it'd happen sooner or later. The reason why I wanted you to let me explain...»

Still at the top of one of the steps, the young man gave them a determined look.

«... is that I want to help you. After that, our paths will part forever.»

Rainiel felt every muscle in her body tighten.

Sephiroth hadn't invoked anyone's forgiveness, he hadn't asked them to trust him. He just wanted to join them long enough to take out the last remaining mako creatures, and after that, they wouldn't even hear of him again. Word would probably spread in Midgar that he was dead on a mission, or missing. The shock would hit the entire city for the first time... but then things would calm down. As if he never even existed. He would've been... just a memory.

Rainiel didn't like that idea at all. And, in her heart, she knew why. He was about to speak, but Cloud was quicker than her.

«Sorry... R-Copies? Yoshua Project? I don't understand what you're talking about…» he pointed out. He looked very tired, was battered from the last fight and still had many injuries in plain sight. He probably needed a well deserved rest.

«It really is one long story, Cloud. And not one so happy.» Zack sighed, joining him. «I'll tell you about it in due course, but first you need to regain your strength. And I think it's better to take a look at those wounds of yours...»

«I'm fine! I'll recover quickly!»

«I appreciate the courage, but you really need to rest.»

Sephiroth reached out a hand to the door.

«Upstairs you'll find some bedrooms. Zack, you should take Cloud there for now.»

«What?!» the raven-haired boy gasped.

Rainiel, this time, managed to intervene.

«Sephiroth's right.» he exclaimed, taking everyone by surprise, even the person concerned, «So you can treat him and explain the whole situation to him calmly.»

Zack was more confused than before.

«If you say so ... then let's go, you must rest too.»

«I'll stay here.»

Rain seemed determined enough.

Sephiroth gave her a curious look, not understanding what she was aiming for. For some reason, that girl often continued to be a mystery to him. Maybe that was why she was able to interest him so much.

Zack cocked his head, now supporting Cloud with one arm. The boy was powerless.

«Do you think I'll leave you alone with him?» he almost laughed, protective and sarcastic at the same time.

The "him" he referred to even seemed to get offended for a moment by the way he had been addressed, but dared not speak in his own defense. He was right to doubt his loyalty at such a time.

«You will.»

The girl put her feet on the ground and looked at her best friend with a determined face. She didn't seem in the mood to discuss it right now.

«Sephiroth and I have a few things to discuss. Privately.» she finished.

In another context, Zack would've limited himself to throwing some other annoying joke that could make the sentence just uttered strange, but he didn't dare to joke about what he had heard.

«But... it's dangerous!»

«He won't harm a hair, I assure you.»

«How can you be sure? Do I have to remind you what he did in the past?»

«Zack!» Rainiel sighed impatiently and looked him straight in the eyes. «Listen to me, please. You know it's very...»

The girl regretted that sentence, which she didn't continue.

"You know it's very important to me" was what she wanted to say, and it was what Zack quickly realized. By now he had known her for a lifetime, her feelings and her thoughts were no longer a secret to him, able to understand her from a single glance or from her movements.

Sephiroth listened patiently, still waiting to be followed into the building. He listened with pleasure to the way Rain defended herself, sure that he wouldn't hurt her. Not because she trusted him, but because if he only attempted to, she'd make him regret it soon after. He had missed this grit, and it belonged to a Rain that reminded him a lot of the old one.

«All right...» Zack agreed, before giving the General a dark look, «This doesn't mean that I trust you. Don't even try to think about finishing the work you started in the scientific archives.» he threatened, intimidating, determined to protect the girl who was like a sister to him, more than just a friend.

Sephiroth lifted his chin.

"As if I needed to hear that from you", were probably the words that flashed through his mind.

Without arguing, he entered the villa in total silence. Behind him, the three warriors followed him cautiously.

* * *

**Chapter 69**

**HEATED ARGUMENT**

Sephiroth entered the large mansion first, followed by the attentive young soldiers behind him.

Cloud coughed and looked around, amazed at the appearance of the mansion he had set foot in. It looked like an old house of yesteryear, immersed in a regal and ancient atmosphere, with wooden walls painted in gold and greenish patterns, a large dull chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a huge staircase leading to the upper floor.

Zack held him in his arms, and glanced at his wounds, most of them still open. He and Rainiel were also not in the best of conditions, but they'd all heal soon.

«C'mon, buddy. I'll take you upstairs.» he announced, starting to move. As he climbed the stairs, he looked one last time at his friend.

His eyes were worried. Leaving her alone with the man who nearly killed them both wasn't really something he wanted to do, but in his heart he knew it'd be okay. Rainiel was a woman of word, and one that knew how to take care of herself. If Sephiroth really infuriated her, he too would've had a bad time.

The two soon disappeared beyond the railing on the first floor, leaving them alone just as she had asked.

Sephiroth watched the stairway, but soon looked away, to Rain. A face-to-face discussion, after all this time and after what had happened, made even him uncomfortable.

Between the two there was a complicated story, one that was really difficult to tell but that they both knew well. And, even more, they both knew their emotions. Yet, at that precise moment Sephiroth couldn't understand what Rainiel was feeling, when she began to slowly approach him.

The girl walked with her head down, her fists clenched, and she soon reached him.

Much shorter than him, she glanced up at his face for a moment.

After that she acted.

Her hands reached her belt and the linings of the Aikuchis. She drew one of them, holding it backwards, to try a direct attack, and that was exactly what she did. Quick as a bolt of lightning, she caught even the General off guard, because before he could even know it, her blade was a breath away from his black lashes.

The young man took a step back, avoiding serious damage, but he felt a curious warmth in his cheekbone. He raised a hand to the affected area and touched it. When he pulled it back, he could see drops of blood on his glove.

He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, looking at her as Rain, still motionless in the hall, watched him darkly and determinedly.

«I thought you wanted to talk.» he said, almost amused. He wasn't angry, also because he probably deserved more than a little cut on the cheek.

«That's my way of talking.»

Rainiel bent her elbow, bringing the sword before her eyes. The glint of steel was second only to that of her sad eyes. «You better get the sword.» she then suggested.

Sephiroth brought his hands to his sides again, lifting his chin as if he wanted to appease her whim.

«I don't want to fight you, Rain.»

He barely finished saying the sentence, because the girl sprinted towards him after kicking the floor with her heel.

As if it were magic, the hilt of the Masamune suddenly found itself in the hands of Sephiroth, who parried her attack within an inch of his face.

Rainiel, furious, continued to push the Aikuchi and the blades began to tremble from the force exerted by both.

«You don't? How strange, a month ago it seemed like you wanted me dead.»

«I don't expect to be forgiven,» he hissed, «but I'm sorry. That is my greatest remorse.»

This didn't calm Rain, on the contrary, it just made her angrier. The girl summoned all her strength and, baring teeth in anger, she pushed him away before flipping back in mid-air. She cut the air with her sword, her shoulders stiff with strong emotions.

«Not killing me?»

«Hurting you.»

Sephiroth didn't lower his head, didn't feel shy or embarrassed to tell the truth. He had always been confident, even though he had never paid too much attention to his own feelings.. He had been taught that emotions weren't something necessary, on the contrary, they could become his greatest weakness. And a prodigy like him could not afford any weakness. Only three people had managed to convince him otherwise. Angeal, Genesis... and Rainiel. The last thing he wanted was to lose her too.

«It's not easy to explain, but I know I got a totally wrong idea. For a lifetime I've been seeking for the truth that would explain who... or what, I really am. And when I found out I was an experiment, a lab specimen, I couldn't stand it. I was convinced that there must be more.» he tried to summarize, which was certainly no easy feat. Only he really knew the torments that had besieged him, the thoughts that had gradually succeeded in devouring him.

Rainiel swung her weapon again, nervously.

«Oh, and so you thought you were the last descendant of Ancients destined to avenge their extinction. Seems logical to me.»

Her sarcasm was dictated by sheer pain and a lot of anger. Not hate... she didn't hate him at all. She had tried, for weeks, but it was as if her body and mind refused to accept that thought. On the contrary, trying to forget him or blame him had only caused the opposite effect. When she tried to do that, Rainiel just missed him even more. She had cried, a few times, alone in her room, hoping he'd come back and explain herself. She had continued to hope, like a naïve.

«I'm an experiment like you too, Sephiroth. Do you think I enjoyed discovering that I was the result of an experimental project on an alien creature? Or that I haven't also wondered all my life why I was so different from others? Or that...» for just a moment, she sobbed and looked down, «... I enjoyed seeing the people I loved... disappear forever...?»

Sephiroth's expression hardened as he realized that Rain wasn't just referring to her parents. She was talking about him too. And for that... he felt guilty. No one had been able to make him feel this way before. Not even the enemies he had defeated, the soldiers he had eliminated to bring victory to his cause. Nothing would ever shake him like the tears in the eyes of her who had been his pupil, and who tried to suppress them with every ounce of her strength.

«I just wanted... to go on!»

More slowly, Rainiel took a run and lunged at him.

Sephiroth dodged her attack, or then parried the next blow, keeping the Aikuchi low as it tried to aim for his chest.

«You have completely lost your mind...! You risked killing hundreds of innocent people! What happened to your promise? To your trust? Did they mean so little to you?!» she accused him again and again, backing away and attempting one lunge after another.

Sephiroth defended himself, but her words shook him. The last blow, then, caused a cut in his shoulder. He hadn't even tried to dodge it. He deserved that too, he told himself.

Rainiel was tired from fighting the mako creature. Her bones still ached from her bad fall, and so she had to stop and catch her breath. The Aikuchi was a light weapon, but felt very heavy at the time.

Sephiroth didn't move, continuing to listen to her.

«Did I mean so little to you?» Rain barely whispered, no longer afraid, nor shy. She was just terribly tired.

The man narrowed his eyes, unable to answer although he knew the answer well.

No, of course not.

Otherwise he would've killed her, and then he'd continue to spread hate and destruction everywhere.

«Why? Why, Sephiroth?!»

Rain lifted her head again, gripping the hilt with both hands. She moved the sword, like an angry child shaking a toy. Her voice was broken. She now was really venting all the bitterness she had gathered in that last period.

«Why didn't you come back? Didn't you care if I and Zack were still alive?» she raised her voice, before lowering it and frowning, biting her lips hard. She was silent for a few moments, after which she spoke softly.

«Why didn't you just kill me...?» she sobbed. She couldn't explain it. She didn't understand why, after all that had happened, after all the harm he had inflicted on her, Sephiroth had decided to spare her and, not only that, also to heal her more serious wounds.

A few seconds of silence later, the girl looked at the man. He was evading her gaze. Never before had he been the one to avoid eye contact. It was something that, as far as she could see, he couldn't stand. Yet he was now trying not to look at her. Perhaps because he couldn't bear to see her reduced in certain conditions. Rainiel didn't understand it, she'd never understand it. And that only made her nervous.

She coughed a bitter laugh.

«But what does it matter, right? Why should you explain it to me?» she shrugged, beside herself, «I'm just naïve and foolish. One who even hoped you'd come back to her to explain, despite everything, 'cause maybe she'd really forgive you!» she then raised her voice, «Really just a fool!»

With that cry, she threw herself at him again, lifting the Aikuchi.

Sephiroth's serpentine gaze, however, froze her suddenly. This time he wouldn't let himself be hit.

Rainiel saw him move too, and he responded to the attack, acting with a speed that was unmatched in the rest of the world. He disarmed her with extreme simplicity, the sword fell to the ground making a metallic sound and, a moment later, Rain's wrists joined, immobilized. A surprising force pushed her elsewhere.

She closed her eyes and a surprised exclamation escaped her lips as her back hit the wall on which a hand rested, to the left of her face.

Out of breath and cornered, she opened her eyes again and tried to squirm, but she couldn't.

She noticed that Sephiroth was holding her still, yet not hurting her wrists or legs, of which he had prevented any movement with one of his. The Masamune was on the ground, just like her weapon, a few meters from both of them. It seemed the fight was over and, of course, Rain had lost again.

But she understood immediately that the man hadn't blocked her to make her understand that she had no hope against him, but to induce her to calm down.

Rainiel breathed heavily, giving him a grim look as the memories besieged her cruelly.

It had been a long time since they had been so close to each other. Once such a thing would've given her endless chills.

«L- Let me go!» she then tried to say, more insecure.

«I said I wouldn't ask to be forgiven,» he cut short, ignoring her request, «but I still want you to listen to me.» he then demanded.

Rainiel pursed her lips, unable to reply.

Why deny it? After all... she really wanted to listen to him and find answers to her questions.

* * *

**Chapter 70**

**THE ONLY REASON**

Upstairs, the treatment proceeded quietly.

Zack managed to find a small healing potion that had been given to him by Shinra, and handed it to Cloud, who took it and uncorked it lost in thought, as well as very disoriented.

«It's impossible... it couldn't have been Sephiroth who caused that fire!» he exclaimed in terror. The General had been his idol, the one who had pushed him to join Shinra, as had happened to Rainiel. His ideals collapsed in an instant, and his expression became more tense and sad than ever.

«Drink.» Zack said thoughtfully, before sitting on the bed in front of the one on which his friend had taken place, letting himself fall on the mattress with a sigh. «Trust me... in your place I wouldn't believe it either.» he continued later, rubbing his temples.

He wished that things were simpler than that. Working for SOLDIER, training in the gym and visiting his sweet Aerith in the slums whenever possible, to accompany her to sell those beloved flowers along the streets of Sector 5. Instead, however, he was as usual far from home and involved in a tangled and dangerous story. He really hoped it was just a bad dream.

«But... he's a hero... isn't he?» Cloud drank and pressed the bottle to his chest, his eyes lost in an indefinite part of the room. Believing that version of events was difficult. «You mean that's why you and Rain were reduced in that condition? And is it for this reason that Sephiroth suddenly disappeared?»

«To put it this way, it might seem simplistic, but... yes, broadly speaking that's it.» Zack stretched his back muscles, only wanting a warm bath and a long sleep.

«So... Rainiel and Sephiroth are...?»

«Products of an experiment.» the other boy briefly said, «All the more reason to stay away from Hojo. And also from SOLDIER.»

Cloud dropped his head. Once, he had made a promise to someone very important to him, saying that he'd come back home as a SOLDIER, and no longer like the outcast he had always been. Probably his was just a dream destined to collapse.

«But they're not our enemies, are they?» he tried asking again, hoping to get the answer he had thought of.

Zack raised an eyebrow.

«Rain will never be our enemy. She's the kindest person I know, trust me.» he chuckled, before becoming more serious, «But as for Sephiroth… I've seen what he's capable of. He is a confused and lethal man, and when we were forced to face him he was absolutely out of his mind. I admit I believe that he has changed, but...», he had to acknowledge it, «Today he saved us both, but he could have let us die or kill us all. Why would he defend us if he still wanted to eliminate us? It looks like he really regretted his actions.» he finally explained.

Cloud tried to speak, but a thud caught the attention of both of them. Disturbing noises were heard from downstairs. One wall shook, a sign that something had hit it.

The blond boy jumped to his feet, which wasn't good for his knee, which in fact bent down for a sudden twinge.

Zack, on the other hand, just tensed his muscles.

«Rain...! We have to go to...!»

«Sit down, Cloud.» Zack assured him.

He had a sixth sense, as far as his friend was concerned. He always knew when she was in danger and when the situation was manageable or even in her favor. Besides, she had been crystal clear in explaining: Sephiroth wasn't going to hurt her. If downstairs there was a bit of confusion, it was certainly due to the girl who had decided to let off dome steam, and not to the General, who if he wanted to kill her would've had no problem doing it in front of everyone, rather than waiting to confront her. Alone.

«But... Rainiel...!»

«She's just solving a matter.»Zack even gave a sly grin, «Trust her. Later you'll count Sephiroth's bruises in all calm.» he joked.

Cloud did as asked, though not entirely persuaded by that consolation. That was probably the very way to settle things among first-class SOLDIERS.

On the lower floor, however, the discussion proceeded more animated than ever. Sephiroth had stuck Rainiel against a wall, only because it'd be more comfortable to talk without risking being shredded by her Aikuchi.

«I have to listen to you? So can you really justify yourself for what you did?» Rainiel accused, again trying to free herself from the grip that a single hand of his exerted on both of her wrists, but it didn't work.

«No.» he was direct and sincere, «I don't think I can justify my actions in any way. Especially trying to kill you and Zack.»

«So you want to explain to me why you didn't finish the job, right?» she deduced, «I… I shouldn't even listen to you, actually. Once I was the one justifying myself... and you just sent me away. You refused the help I wanted to offer you.»

«I remember.» Sephiroth replied.

The archives, their debate. He had said he didn't have anyone he really cared about, saying in short that, to him, Rain didn't matter. Looking back now, he felt terribly foolish to have said something like that. Everything in his life now revolved around Rainiel.

«But I know you won't send me away. Because you're not like me.» he explained.

Rainiel's eyes widened, focusing on him who, strangely, looked sad.

Sephiroth had said in a nutshell... that he thought she was a better person than himself. It wasn't a level he would've lowered to that easily, given his arrogance and pride, but he had only done it for her. This, a little, reassured her... and pleased her very much.

She didn't think he'd ever see again the caring Sephiroth who had looked after her in the darkest of times. Not after meeting the ruthless and vengeful Sephiroth who had brought her close to death.

She dropped her lids over her still shiny eyes, relaxing her body.

«... I'll listen to what you have to say.» she conceded then, surrendering. Either way, she really wanted to. Just... she didn't want to let him know. Unfortunately, she too was sinking with pride.

As she spoke those words, she felt the grip around her wrists melt away. Sephiroth let go of her hands, which he gazed upon as he pondered.

After that, he started talking.

«I learned a lot about the Jenova Project during the week spent in the archive. Professor Gast, the man who raised me, years ago described Jenova as a Cetra creature. He was the only person who really cared for me when I was still a child. I was very attached to him. I thought I could trust his words... and so I convinced myself that I really was the one chosen by the planet. The one who'd bring justice for the death of his people... it all had a very specific meaning in my mind. Maybe I was born for exactly this reason.»

His teeth clenched, as the fingers of his right hand, still against the wall, that scratched the wood despite the gloves.

«I hated everything. Shinra, humans, myself... eternally in conflict. Was I a monster, or a precious heir? Not wanting to accept the first option, I saw a refuge in the second. And to avenge my mother, I had to start by destroying those who trapped her.»

Rainiel, her back still pressed to the wall, felt more shaken than ever, but she began to understand what really led Sephiroth to be guided by madness rather than rationality. In fact, living in the belief of being a creature superior to others would've been much easier.

«... Shinra.» she understood what he meant, watching him nod once.

«I was so furious that I just wanted to take my anger out on anyone and anything. So blinded by my own hatred... that I've backfired on you and Zack.»

The memories of what he had done made his pale eyes duller, a lost expression on his face. It was at moments like this that Rainiel realized how fragile the great and powerful Sephiroth really was. More than any person she knew. His mind wavered, as did his heart. Broken by a reality that no longer belonged to him, by the mystery that enveloped him. He no longer knew who he really was.

«And it's only when I realized I hurt you... when I really feared I had killed you...» he struggled to continue, not because he couldn't find the right words or was in awe, but because the mere memory of his actions was making him nauseous, «... I realized what I was doing. It was all wrong. I had unwittingly chosen to sacrifice everything I had for a lie that I believed in. Jenova is not even a Cetra. She's an alien creature, nothing more. And for her I was destroying everything that was dearest to me.»

When he looked up at her, Rainiel understood.

He was referring to her. She was the last thing left to Sephiroth, who hadn't had much in his life. Wealth, fame, glory... none of this satisfied him. It wasn't what he needed, because he felt more alone than ever. His friends had helped him, only to betray him later, and for this he had a hard time trusting people. Rainiel, however, was different. She was special. They were two sides of the same coin.

«I didn't come back because I was afraid you were dead.» he revealed then, without shame, but with much hatred. Hatred for himself. He probably considered himself a coward. Ironic, for the bravest SOLDIER ever.

«Because I wouldn't have been able to go on living, knowing I killed you with my own hands. Not you... not the one who taught me that becoming a monster is a choice, not destiny.»

Rain parted her lips, intrigued and amazed by how much she had heard. In reality, he was the first to tell her all this when she hated herself. Evidently he hadn't received his own teaching and, ironically, it had been his pupil to pass it on to her mentor. In a way, they had saved each other.

«So... saying it is really trivial, and you're even free not to believe me... but when I saw you again, when I realized you had survived...»

For a moment, Rainiel noticed his lips curving into a calm smile, one that truly expressed happiness.

«… you can't even imagine how relieved I felt. Although it'll never be enough to fill my sense of guilt, even if I'll never forgive myself for what I've done. And even if you won't forgive me either. I just want you to know that I'm happy you're here, even if you just hate me.»

Sephiroth had never spoken like this to anyone and in any context. He wasn't even a lover of long speeches, being a pragmatic man and who preferred facts to words. At that moment, however, he was truly opening his heart to the girl in front of him. He probably had been preparing that speech for days and days, hoping to see her again, or maybe those words were born on the spot.

However Rainiel could feel his back stiffen, she could feel the hatred and joy amalgamating in him, the light and darkness shaking his soul as he struggled desperately not to drown in the darkness. And when Rain was with him, for some reason, getting back to the surface in that dark sea of resentment and doubt was much easier.

«You are the only reason, Rainiel.» he concluded, having nothing else to add, «The only reason I didn't indulge in all that hatred.»

Rainiel listened in astonishment. Every word he uttered took her breath away. Even just talking with him, after all that time spent convincing herself that she'd never see him again, was like a dream. She really thought he wasn't back, that he never would, because he really didn't care about her. She thought she was just one of many people in his life, or even one of those who had betrayed him. She thought of a thousand things, thousands and thousands of problems...

... which Sephiroth had just eliminated in a few simple words. Sincere words that had an extraordinary effect on her.

She was the only reason. For which he kept fighting, and for which he hadn't returned to Midgar after his escape. Because she was actually the most important thing to him.

And this awareness brought to light all the melancholy in her heart, every single emotion that he had tried to drive away. She had missed him, she had felt the desire to have him next to her, to hold him, to face everything that was happening, together.

She wanted to answer him too, but no words would be effective enough. So she did the only thing she was thinking of right now, the only thing that could possibly explain a lot more things than she could say.

She raised her hands, grabbed the collar of his long jacket, and pulled Sephiroth to her. To her lips.

Still pressed against that cold wall, she kissed him eagerly and desperately, remembering how long it had been since she had held him like that. Suddenly, the problems plaguing her seemed much smaller.

Sephiroth was initially surprised by her initiative. He didn't expect her to react like that at all, not after trying to teach him a lesson with her Aikuchi. He thought that Rainiel hated him with all of her heart, that she'd hit him with a slap and then push him away. He'd be okay with it anyway, because what really mattered to him was that she was okay and alive. But that... no, he didn't really expect it. But he didn't mind at all.

He closed his eyes slowly, letting go. That kiss had nothing to do with the first one, exchanged in the corridor of the Shinra palace. This was much more passionate, sadder and more needy. A charge of emotion hit them both with the force of a hurricane.

Rainiel didn't let go of the flaps of his jacket, as if frightened by the idea that he'd disappear again, and appreciated more than ever the arm that encircled her waist, and the muscles of the other, leaning against the wall, which stiffened as he gave up on that feeling.

For a couple of seconds, every scientific project, every mako creature, every slightest flame from the fire that had divided them ceased to exist.

For a couple of seconds... only the two of them were left in the world.

* * *

**Chapter 71**

**PASSION AND INDECISION**

Rain felt that she was living in another world when she held Sephiroth close to her. Whenever that happened to her, it was as if that had created a whole new dimension in which to take refuge. Both finally away from all those secrets and that hatred that were consuming them... and the light shone a little more in that great darkness that enveloped them.

With no more fear of seeing him disappear, she let go of the raised collar of his black jacket, sliding her hands towards the man's chest, enjoying the heat emanating from his skin. She dared not stop pressing her lips to his, she had been waiting and yearning to see him and feel those emotions again for a long time.

Sephiroth was no exception. As much as he always wanted to look like the icy warrior he really was, every defense of his was inexistent when it came to her. He thought it might be a delusional dream, and he feared for a moment that Rainiel wasn't really there. He wanted to make sure she was.

And so he let his hand rise along her side and his back, moving the fabric of the shirt under his fingers, while with the other hand he reached for her soft wavy hair and the nape of her neck.

The gesture of both of them was so passionate and tormented that soon Rain began to feel tremendous heat and realized she hadn't even breathed. How far would've she gone if she continued like this? She frankly didn't even care that she had just wounded him with her sword or that they were in a mansion used as a secret laboratory by Shinra. She didn't even fear the idea of being seen by Cloid and Zack - though, if so, the latter would surely bring her back to reality with a good grooming. After all, she was letting her feelings take over her without even trying to fight. Her desire for the man she had been thinking about all this time was so strong that everything else seemed to fall back on the priority scale.

But was that right?

When she slowly opened her eyes, and she noticed the long silver-haired young man's eyelashes a breath away from her face, it was as if she had awakened from a long sleep.

She clenched her fingers against his collarbones, blowing a forced moan on his lips, that of someone who reluctantly has to say no to something.

Shortly after, in fact, her hands pushed the warrior away pressing on his shoulders. She broke free from his grip, also because he chose not to insist.

Sephiroth, now separated by a few paces from her, absently put a hand to his lips and looked at her with an unreadable expression.

Rainiel breathed hard. Tired from the fight and from that kiss that hadn't left her a moment to catch her breath, she forced herself to compose by running a hand through her hair and straightening her back.

«N- No...! I can't do it…» she tried to say, more agitated than before. She began to walk in circles, cursing herself and the little self-control that remained. She hadn't even been able to resist her impulses. What kind of first-class SOLDIER gets carried away by something like this?

She placed her hands on her hips, giving him a look.

«I… I promised myself to hate you. And to forget you.» she took a deep breath, brushing her temple, «I'm an idiot. I haven't been able to do even one of these two things…» she snorted then, feeling guilty.

Behind the fingers of one of his hands, Sephiroth let a little smile grow on his lips.

«This is the first time I'm glad you can't do something.» he added, a little provocative.

Rainiel puffed out her cheeks nervously.

«Don't claim victory, Sephiroth. This...» her hands pointed to the space between them, several times, «... doesn't mean anything. I've not yet forgiven you for what you did, and I want this to be clear.» she ruled, biting her lip.

For a while she felt the feeling of that kiss again and had the urge to go back to him to pick up where she left off. A tremendously powerful and persuasive impulse... but this time she managed to suppress it.

She clenched her fists and looked at him, vowing never to make a mistake like that again. She couldn't afford it.

«I guess I can't blame you.» Sephiroth sighed, again letting his dangling hands fall to his sides. Clearly what had just happened meant a lot to him too but he tried not to show it, not because he didn't want to... probably just out of habit. In fact, he avoided an awkward silence, addressing her directly.

«So, Rain? What will you do now? Will you go back to Shinra?» he asked, and his tone of voice seemed invaded for a moment by a note of sadness that only she could have picked up. «You don't seem to be doing too badly. You're in first class now, aren't you?»

The girl crossed her arms and looked away. He probably got it from her clothes, weapons, and new capacities on the battlefield. She didn't even need to answer.

«You have friends, a good career. It seems that you have finally realized your dream.»

«This is nowhere near to what my dream was, trust me.» she immediately denied, hastily. She stamped one foot on the ground, closing her hands on her arms. «And if it was up to me, I wouldn't have cared about reaching first class. The only reason I'm still in SOLDIER is that I want to remedy the mistakes of the scientist who brought me to life.» she clarified, «And when I finish my assignment, I'll leave Shinra. It was the same plan you had from the start, wasn't it? Finally leave SOLDIER and maybe allow me to replace you...»

Sephiroth looked surprised for a while, after which he lowered his head.

«You have hit the mark. I wouldn't have expected anything less from you.»

«That's why... I'm not going back to Shinra.» Rain sighed, drawing his attention again and arousing his astonishment, «Not for now, at least. I can't force Zack and Cloud to do the same as me, but I... I'll stay here. I can't deny that I need your help to eliminate all the remaining mako beasts.»

The one who had been her mentor lifted his face and touched his chin, attracted by the logic that she seemed to fully share.

«This does make sense. And, if I may ask, what do you have in mind to do once the mission is completed?» he asked then.

Rainiel felt that question hit her like a punch straight to the chest, and she faltered.

«I don't know yet. I haven't think about it.» she revealed, «But I don't care that much. I want to dedicate my life to protecting people, as I've always wanted. I'll try to do it, wherever I go.»

Sephiroth listened to her and soon left to retrieve the Masamune. There was no hint of emotion on his face, but for some reason Rain knew how he felt anyway. All those emotions that he carried inside him and that had no way to let off steam if catalyzed in a single sentence.

«So... I guess we'll be parting forever before long.» he understood her.

Heart sank. Rain hated feeling guilty about such things, but she couldn't do otherwise.

«Yes... I think we will.» she could only confirm, though something deep in her heart was screaming at her that she had to change her mind.

She hadn't been able to say goodbye to Sephiroth once and she didn't know if she was ready to do so now, now that they were finally reunited and that he had proved repentant of his actions. That seemed wrong... but it was the only way.

The man nodded, turning his back, and started to walk away. What sense would've made for him to reply?

«How about you, Sephiroth?»

Suddenly, the girl's voice stopped him. The idea that he was leaving, she noticed, made her feel bad. In spite of everything...

«What will you do when all of this is over?» Rainiel then asked, tightening her eyelids. She really cared about his response and that only made her feel worse.

The young soldier showed his face in profile, thoughtful.

«Your idea and mine aren't all that different.» he then said, «But there is one difference in particular that makes them, in a sense, opposite.»

«And what would it be?»

Sephiroth's Masamune hissed through the air before returning to his side, faithful as the best trained dog on the face of the planet. A terribly loyal dog with sharp teeth as razors.

«You want to travel to protect people from harm, to save them.» he pointed out, «While I'll have to hide to protect people from myself.» he finished.

Only later did he retreat elsewhere, leaving Rain alone and free to roam the mansion and rest and recover until they met again for something important.

She, however, stood still for a good minute looking at the floor with a lost and thinking air.

She understood... that it wasn't really she who had to forgive Sephiroth to free him from the sleeping monster that inhabited his soul and psyche. It was he who had to forgive himself.


	23. Secret Lab / Reunion Theory / Hand-to-hand / Shinra's Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainiel and her companions spend a week in the Oasis created by Shinra. After the long wait and some hard-to-forget moments, the sighting of a mako creature will lead them to an unexpected encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:  
> • Chapter 72: Secret lab;  
> • Chapter 73: Reunion theory;  
> • Chapter 74: Hand-to-hand;  
> • Chapter 75: Shinra's secret.

* * *

**Chapter 72**

**SECRET LAB**

That evening, Sephiroth personally called his unusual guests with the intent of showing them something. He asked them to join him in a corridor of the villa, on the ground floor, which ended abruptly with a stone wall and a dark wooden door. The bolt that was to seal whatever was beyond that wall had been brutally sliced, a clean cut that served as a signature. Only one person in the world would've been capable of such a well-aimed, clean shot.

Zack, Cloud and Rainiel waited in the dim light of the passage, behind the eldest of those present, who freed the access immediately afterwards.

«Where are you taking us?» Zack asked, still not entirely persuaded. That afternoon he had tried to keep calm and not intervene despite the noises coming from downstairs, but soon after he had run to Rain to make sure she was okay. She hadn't given any explanations about her "discussion" with the General and he hadn't asked any more questions, it was enough for him to know that Sephiroth had been true to his word, but he didn't trust him for that.

Cloud, although in the presence of Sephiroth he felt perennially uncertain and inexperienced - he had met him perhaps only once in the past and thanks to Zack, but for him there was nothing left but an important figure with whom it seemed impossible to deal with - decided to finally make his voice heard.

«Is this where Project Yoshua's R-Copy experiments were conducted?» he hesitated.

Sephiroth gave him a neutral look but capable of putting him in awe. He clearly was surprised that he already knew so much, but probably Zack and Rain had had to explain a lot to him that day.

«You're sharp, boy.» he complimented.

Cloud blinked and felt a moment of pride, but then remembered that he had to be cautious: the one in front of him was no longer a valiant and righteous hero.

«I have visited every wing of this mansion myself. It appears to be disguised as an ordinary farmhouse, but hides some underground floors. Studies, archives, secret laboratories... it seems that Shinra has managed to create a small clone of itself, down here.» resumed the man with the long silver hair, moving into the uncovered room after calmly throwing open the door.

In line, the people behind followed him.

«Have you found anything new that interests the Yoshua Project?» Rain asked, hugging herself in her arms. She hadn't forgotten what happened that afternoon and for that very reason she avoided looking directly at Sephiroth.

That didn't escape Zack, who, however, had to pretend nothing happened.

The General seemed pleased to be able to speak to her again too.

«Now I know for sure that the R-Copies are twenty-one in total. Have you killed any in the last period?»

«Five.» she replied.

«I killed seven. So, added to those eliminated in the past, there should be six more free. We'll deal with them as soon as possible.»

«Haven't you found out anything else?» Zack continued, intrigued.

«Yes, but this is probably information you already have. The R-Copies are all failed subjects of Yoshua Project R. The experiment involved creating copies of the newborn human subject, but it seems that Rainiel's DNA was impossible to copy onto other life forms. They date back to the same period of creation, that is to say about twenty years ago, but they've been kept in a state of cryogenic sleep until an imprecise moment, that of their release.»

Cloud walked around the room they found themselves in, in front of a large wood-floored room with a table in the center, maps, dusty shelves and machinery and junk scattered around. He tried to imagine huge pods containing those monsters that he himself had faced more than once.

«Who would ever let such creatures free? I can't understand for what purpose someone could've done it...» he commented, his head full of thoughts.

«You cannot hope to understand the mind of a mad scientist. Such people have no interest in finding a "why", their only desire is to prove their theories correct by any means possible.»

As he answered him, Sephiroth leaned his back and then his palms on the high table in front of him, the one in the center of the gloomy room. On the other side, beyond that same table, the wall broke off to make room for another door and a series of steps that led to other lower floors, increasingly dark, as if one could slowly descend into the stomach of a beast.

The man's gaze was clouded by feelings and emotions which, inevitably, at times became too pressing to be hidden.

Rainiel thought about reaching him, but stopped shortly before doing so. She didn't have to be rushed. She didn't have to let him win... and she couldn't let herself be deceived again. But she still felt in the wrong, in that case.

She read in his eyes that, in that instant, Sephiroth felt very similar to the man that had reduced both of them to that state: a person who wants to play god without caring about the people around him.

That had been Sephiroth when he started the fire in the archives. But Rain got the whole impression that he wasn't anymore.

Meanwhile, Zack wandered around taking a look at the trinkets around him, identifying one more curious than the others. A large flat screen on the wall with a dark green background continued to host reddish concentric circles, silently expanding over what appeared to be a map of the arid expanses between which the Oasis stood. One large enough to also include the edge of the platform and the slums.

«Huh? And what would this be?» he then asked, placing his hand on it.

Sephiroth straightened his back, raising the volume of his voice to reply to his doubt.

«That's why I wanted you to see this room. It is a radar. I have to ask you not to touch it, we don't know if the settings can change erroneously at the slightest misstep.» he warned him.

Zack withdrew his hand, looking guilty, but soon everyone gathered around the mechanism.

«A radar?» Rain asked, rightly curious, «A radar for what?»

«For R-Copies. Shinra has planted control devices everywhere in these areas upon the release of the mako creatures. I found that radar can detect approaching copies. If this happens, it will trigger an alarm that will warn us of their presence. That's how the Oasis scientists kept themselves safe from those monsters.»

«So that's where you located those creatures from? That's why you killed many and all by yourself.» Cloud noticed, taking a few steps as Sephiroth approached him. Not only did it scare him in a way, but he couldn't stand the huge difference in height between them. Was it possible that he didn't even get to his shoulder? He was even taller than Zack!

The great warrior seemed to notice this and, frankly, had to hold back an amused grin to return to focus on the discussion. Once even Rainiel felt in awe when standing next to him, but now she noticed that she was standing still and silent with her eyes fixed on the monitor.

«I have noticed that creatures, for some reason, sooner or later always pass by this place. If we wait, the remaining six will also arrive. What I don't understand... is why.» he then announced.

Rainiel then rubbed her chin.

«I don't think they do it for the Oasis. I doubt they even know the laboratory exists, in the end they're not sentient creatures. Besides, you all remember the first mako beast we defeated, right?»

«Yes, in Sector 5's Slums» answered Zack, who was particularly worried during that mission.

Rain remembered that fight very well: no one, neither the SOLDIERS nor the Turk Vaneja and not even the infantryman Cloud knew how to deal with the beast and this had almost led to their death. If it hadn't been for Sephiroth, who fortunately wasn't far away and had heard Zack's alarm, probably none of the three would've been there to talk to him now. This she could not deny.

«Indeed. The oasis was uninhabited and therefore no one noticed the alarm. No one who wanted to stop the creature, at least.» she began to say again, aware that the Oasis was certainly under control from a distance. Certainly Hojo was plotting something far from reassuring. «So, if that creature has reached the slums, it means its target wasn't the Oasis.»

«Exactly.» Sephiroth replied, raising a hand to point, at a safe distance, somewhere further south on the large map ahead of them. «And what's beyond the Oasis?»

A rhetorical question but which, as in an oxymoron, still needed an answer.

«Midgar.» Rain spoke through gritted teeth, following his direction. «The R-Copies are returning to Midgar.»

And a gloomy atmosphere of concern settled in the room.

* * *

**Chapter 73**

**REUNION THEORY**

«Something is bringing those creatures back to Midgar, as if it were a magnet.» Sephiroth continued, taking his hand away from the radar. Even he seemed in trouble. Understanding the nature of that plan, which ultimately included everyone, was not easy. At the same time, however, it was necessary to expose the truth as soon as possible, for the good of all the innocent citizens of the hanging city and the slums.

«I don't understand... why should they be...?» Rainiel started to speak, but a sudden realization stopped her in place.

«Rain?» Zack touched her arm, «Are you okay? What is it?»

«Hojo... Hojo talked about something...»

She suddenly remembered the strange words that the mad scientist had addressed to her long before, when he had met her in the elevator of the Shinra building while she was trying to keep his agenda hidden and bring it back to Jadin without being to discover.

«A Reunion.» she then said, «Yes... he mentioned a Reunion! I thought he was referring to his work and I didn't give it too much importance, but if...»

Her incredulous eyes wandered over the digital map in front of her. The Oasis, the arid expanses, Darefall, Midgar. They were all strategic points, in the end.

«… What if he just wanted to prove his theory? All the creatures we killed were somewhere between Darefall and Midgar. It is as if they were moving on a specific axis. As if they were attracted to something.»

«So the mako beasts would've been released near Darefall?» Zack asked, confused.

«No, not necessarily. Following Rain's reasoning, they may have been set free at different points and at different times. What they have in common is that they all were on some kind of imaginary line connecting Darefall and Midgar. And so all the creatures were approaching the plate.» tried to explain Sephiroth.

Rainiel gave him a shocked look, he had hit the full what was the thought of her.

The warrior looked back, crossing his arms over his chest and lifting his chin. He had all the air of someone who wanted to say, "I guessed it, didn't I?"

«The real question now is... what's drawing them to Midgar?» Rain started saying again.

The answer, to everyone's surprise, came from the most silent and disoriented of all present.

«If Shinra really conducts these experiments in secret and has laboratories like the Oasis... then is there no possibility that the source they are drawn to is Yoshua himself?»

Cloud's voice was smaller and more confident than the others. Contrary to what he wanted to prove, he was an introverted boy and not at all sure of himself, but that deduction was enough to make three pairs of surprised eyes focus on him.

«Am I ... am I wrong?»

«Not at all, boy. You could be absolutely right.» Sephiroth answered, struck by the quick thought of him. He was beginning to like that young infantryman.

«So... Yoshua is kept in Shinra's laboratories?» Rainiel felt her heart skip a beat.

What if that was the real reason that led her to move to Midgar and become a SOLDIER? What if this "Reunion" that Hojo spoke of proved largely true at the same time that the three great SOLDIER exponents had welcomed her into the division? That's why Hojo seemed to constantly spy on her and knew everything about her. Was practically every moment of her life due to a meticulous calculation that went back to the moment of her birth? Then, even from this point of view, she had never really been free to choose for herself. She continued to be a mere lab rat to watch and contemplate. The very thought of it made her blood boil in her veins and clench her knuckles into fists. Oh, if she had had that crazy old man in front of her...!

«It could be.» Sephiroth sighed.

«So also Jen...?» Zack started to say a name, but quickly remembered that talking about her too much had been a source of trouble once before. He didn't want to risk it again.

Sephiroth, however, didn't seem to give too much weight this time to his words, even though he appreciated his caution.

«Jenova?» he completed that name for him. «No, she's not in Midgar.»

«And how do you know?»

«Research. And, above all, if there is really the same connection between me and Jenova as between Rain and Yoshua, then I too should be slowly dragged towards her.» he hastily explained himself, skipping many points of the real logical process, making it clear that he evidently didn't want to talk about it at that moment, «However, Jenova isn't our biggest concern at the moment. What concerns us is to prevent the R-Copies from approaching the city. Some of the ones I faced were very strong, so simply waiting to attack them as they get closer could be dangerous. And if they came in large groups, it would be even worse.»

«Attacking them directly could be suicide, tho.» Zack sighed nervously. Soon after, however, he had an idea.

He was right between Rain and Sephiroth. The two had done nothing but complete each other's sentences and exchange glances the whole time. Something was happening that no one wanted to tell him, and that is why he cleared his throat by deciding to be a little cruel.

«Or maybe we could even make it, who knows. Rainiel and I are both SOLDIERS first-class now, after all. And she's been training a lot lately. What was the name of that colleague of ours? Narcisse? I assure you that he really helped Rainiel a lot with her trainings.» he exclaimed with a smile.

A tremendously low blow for both of them.

Rainiel looked at him with an eyebrow raised in astonishment, and Sephiroth's muscles seemed to tighten instead.

As she tried to ask him what he was up to with just eye contact, the legendary SOLDIER with long, well-groomed hair addressed her directly.

«Narcisse?» he asked, in a typically calm tone of voice... at least apparently.

Zack stifled a grin. It seemed that someone didn't like the idea of his pupil training with another young and handsome man. Could he have exaggerated a bit?

«He's a first-class colleague. He trained with me a few times.» Rainiel clarified. She thought that she had nothing to explain or justify though, so she didn't add too many details.

«Unfortunately, I know him enough to say that they couldn't have given him a more adequate name.» Sephiroth commented, returning to focus on the radar. He had got to know the person concerned and could only say that he found him very, very similar to Genesis, only more vain and less capable. The idea that he had spent that time with Rainiel didn't help him at all to consider him more likeable. «Glad you can at least handle him.» in fact he concluded.

Rain blinked. She had caught something in his tone... was it really a touch of jealousy? This was new. But maybe it could be useful. However, this was not the right time for it.

«Let's go back to the main point.» sighed the most experienced, granting her wish. «We were talking about an attack on the mako monsters. My proposal is to wait for one of those creatures to appear before we mobilize in any way. In the meantime, we can work out a plan to prevent them from approaching Midgar. I already have an idea in mind about it, but...»

Sephiroth straightened his back, narrowing his eyes.

«... I don't know if you'll agree with me, Rain.»

«Why shouldn't I?» she asked curiously but, observing his expression, she came to her own hypothesis. «Wait... if those creatures are indeed attracted to Yoshua and that makes them dangerous, do you mean that to stop their advance we should... destroy Yoshua himself?»

Even Zack and Cloud seemed surprised by that plan.

«Exactly.»

«Destroying my only root…» Rainiel lowered her forehead, «I… have to think about it. I've never even met Yoshua, so I don't know how I'd react.» she revealed.

«I understand, so I'm not going to ask you to make a decision right away. We may first wait to locate one of the creatures and study its behavior to make sure our theory is correct, and conduct more research with the material available here in the Oasis. By informing ourselves we'll be more sure how to act.» Sephiroth said wisely, reassuring her.

Zack nodded, apparently in agreement.

«Great. We'll prepare as best as we can to face that creature and, when we're ready, we'll return to the plate. Received.» he got the point.

«And, if we do, what will happen when we destroy Yoshua?» Cloud asked again.

«We can't know. Unfortunately, our hands are tied.» Sephiroth answered directly, «But we'll try not to be caught unprepared. We don't have much choice and time is running out.»

With that sentence, the meeting was declared closed. It was late in the evening and sleep wasn't long in coming, so Zack and Cloud retreated to their room - the first of them had insisted on staying on guard over the second, who had yet to fully recover - while Rain thought about going back to her room, right next to that of the two friends.

She was about to silently cross the threshold when Sephiroth's vibrating voice stopped her.

«Rain.» he called her name, turning around to address her.

She froze again, seized by a shiver. She knew that being alone with him strained her self-control, so she was in a hurry to leave.

«Yes? What's up?» she retorted however her.

«I want you to know that you don't have to do it.» direct and concise, the young man reached the table and paused beyond it. Clearly he had intended, after that discussion, to reach the Oasis archives and get busy looking for further information useful for better understanding that experimental project. «Destroying Yoshua... isn't a trivial matter. We could find another way.»

Rain bit her lip, still turned away.

«And if there wasn't another way? What if Yoshua was the cause of all the evil that happened to everyone involved?»

«I would still leave the choice to you, as it should be.» he replied before taking a deep breath and lowering his head. «I'll be honest with you. If I were in your place and I had to decide whether to destroy Jenova... I don't know if I would. She represents to me what Yoshua represents to you. So I understand.» he explained himself, laconic as always.

This, however, only amplified the girl's doubts. Should she have considered Yoshua as her father?

No, no. She already had a father, even though she had lost him in a terrible accident.

What was Yoshua actually to her? She didn't know. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe that was all. Maybe she... she'd only understand after meeting him.

«I'll make my choice in due course. Now... I want to focus on this part of the mission.» she replied then, making it short. Only at that moment did she turn her gaze to him, full of indecision and weariness. «Good night, Sephiroth.»

She didn't wait. She left the room, across the hall and into her room.

Sephiroth watched her silently, but his mind was crowded with all sorts of thoughts and worries.

Perhaps, one day, both would be free to enjoy life, instead of surviving chained to that heavy past that united them.

Free... but, probably, also very far away from eachother.

* * *

**Chapter 74**

**HAND-TO-HAND**

One morning, after about a week of waiting, the radar on which everyone relied so much finally raised the alarm. The prolonged sound was audible only on the lower floors, and resembled a long anti-calamity whistle, such as those of which the hanging city was arranged.

Even though it was so expected, unfortunately it interrupted a very important moment when it took off.

A few minutes earlier, Rainiel was training inside a room: push-ups, sit-ups, running in place. She did everything she could to keep fit. She had already perfected the art of the sword, at least as far as she could learn for herself, so she was now dedicated to making her body stronger. She had put on some muscle lately, she could see it in the mirror hanging on the wall of the room she had cleared out for her workouts. She had managed to recover an old top that left her belly uncovered, and long but light black pants that didn't make sweating a real hell. Training alone, of course, wasn't the best as she could improve her physical condition but not her reflexes. And, as if a guardian angel wanted to grant her wish, she was soon no longer alone.

«That exercise-» suddenly exclaimed a voice, making her jump and turn hastily to the door, «you're doing it wrong.»

Rain could see Sephiroth leaning against the door, comfortable in clothes that Zack had recovered from the slums from a local merchant: a short-sleeved shirt and tight trousers, and of course his typical high black boots, shiny as ever.

Recovering from her fright, Rainiel put a hand on her chest and relaxed her shoulders.

«That means I'll pass to another one.» was the first thing she thought of saying, before approaching a wall to do some arm and leg exercises.

She couldn't help but notice the young man's clear eyes running across her trained figure. Sephiroth had seen her in uniform, in elegant clothes and now also in a training outfit, but his gaze now always seemed the same, once it rested on her. That's why one side of his lips curled into a half grin.

«Isn't it boring to train like that, alone?» he asked her, clearly to suggest an idea.

«Would you like to join me?» Rain didn't even know what she was saying. Hers had been a spontaneous response. After all, Sephiroth had been her mentor once.

«If I'm not in the way.» he announced in a deliberately sarcastic voice. He entered the room closing the door behind him and approaching her.

Rainiel already began to feel the collar of her top tighter around the throat.

«Well then... I'm missing a few sets of abs, the final stretch and...»

«I think you should focus on fighting rather than fitness.»

The girl gave him a quick glance before lowering her gaze.

«My Aikuchis are in my room.»

«And I don't have the Masamune with me.»

Sephiroth spread his hands, showing how empty they were. Obviously he couldn't walk around the house with that huge katana of his, or he wouldn't even go through the corridors.

«Hand-to-hand, huh?» she quickly understood.

Sephiroth's cunning smile widened.

Rainiel could never have reached his level in terms of physical strength, but that wasn't the only factor determining the outcome of the fight. The trick was all in knowing how to use one's own abilities to their full potential, whether it was power or agility, speed or endurance. Maybe she could do it.

«... In fact, I might've gotten a little rusty on this front.» she accepted, in such a way that he underestimated her to surprise him.

Indeed, less than two seconds after that sentence, she quickly brought her fists in front of her face and tried to hit him in the shoulder with a well-aimed right hook.

Big little problem: Sephiroth hadn't underestimated her at all. Not that time, nor ever in the past.

He shifted with the speed and grace of a shadow and let Rain's stroke fail before grabbing her wrist. With a slight pressure he twisted it and Rain's whole torso had to follow the sudden movement of her bone, bending.

Sephiroth coughed a laugh inches away from Rain's face, who was watching him from below, her teeth bared from the sudden pain.

«Wrong.» he commented, amused.

With a snort, a single movement and a good torso twist, Rain pulled her arm to her and freed herself from his grip with the other hand, assuming the starting position and attempting a right feint and then an attack from the opposite side, which Sephiroth dodged simply by bending his neck. She wasted no time and when she noticed that he had shown her back too much, she spun around to even combine a quick kick, but he flexed his arm and softened the blow with his elbow, launching a counter-offensive before she could defend herself.

He put his hand at her collarbones and pushed her against the wall. Rain felt breathless from the shock and the memories of a few days before and of what had happened in the hall of the villa.

The ex-General's subtle eyes were on her again, like those of a cat enjoying playing with a newly caught mouse.

«Wrong, again.» he murmured charmingly, moving his hand to tease a strand of unruly reddish hair that had fallen from the girl's high ponytail. His fingers touched her cheek.

Rain felt a shiver and, to avoid letting him notice it, she thought about returning to attack.

She lifted one knee and pushed him away, noticing him lower his head. At that moment she tried to pretend to shoot to the left, only to go the opposite side. She didn't think about the fact that she had tried a feint before and failed, so she had already lost from the start.

Sephiroth was keen to point this out, sending her to the ground with a simple tripping. Maybe Rain expected him to attack with his arms, but such imprudent moves weren't like him.

Crossing his limbs across his chest, he raised an eyebrow at her admiring her from his height as she rose up on her elbows and gave him an offended look.

«And... wrong.» he teased her again.

The girl, however, was exactly where she wanted to be. Quick as a snake, she encircled Sephiroth's ankle with her legs and applied enough force to drop him to the ground beside her, sporting a vaulted grin at him.

«And what about this?» she teased him, even before she let go of his leg.

He lifted his head from the ground - he had avoided hitting the ground hard just because of his broad shoulders.

«That was a good move. I'll give you that. But…» he blew, leaving his lips slightly parted immediately afterwards.

Rain thought she had won and she reveled in a moment of calm, her biggest mistake in that fight. In fact, shortly after, he caught up with her after rolling a single time onto his side and grabbed her wrists again, lifting them over her head.

Due to the movement, the two ended up spinning sideways together to a nearby point in the room, and finally Rain found herself again with her back locked to the floor and the man on her, one knee between her calves and both her hands nailed to the ground by one of his, while with the other he held himself to avoid falling on her.

Breathing hard, covered in sweat and tired from training and fighting, Rain tried to move her wrists, but it was all in vain. The fight ended there.

«... that was wrong, once again.» he declared victorious, giving her a satisfied look.

Only later did they both notice the pose assumed and the incredible closeness between their bodies.

The girl was trapped beneath him and she offered no resistance. For her weariness, would've said someone, but she knew it wasn't really like that.

Rain didn't move because, unfortunately, her emotions again took precedence over her rationality.

This Sephiroth understood well, because suddenly he too was pervaded by a curious sensation. One that led him to scratch the wooden boards that made up the floor with the bare fingers of his free hand, before brushing the warm neck of the student with his short nails. He could feel her heart beating hard and blood rushing through her veins, one pulse after another, right under his touch.

Rainiel continued to breathe deeply, tilting her head as he touched her throat. The winner's long hair pinched her skin, but it wasn't an annoying sensation.

Clinging to her skin, Sephiroth's hand went up on her cheekbone, brushed her lips with a thumb.

It gave her an unexpected thrill, one that let the man's eyes light up with pleasure.

They were alone, both aware of the storm of thoughts and desires that harbored within them. Neither of them dared to speak to ruin such a moment, their looks were enough to communicate whole sentences.

And Rainiel was literally praying that he didn't walk away. She knew that she'd regret it later, that letting herself go for him and only him so easily was a form of defeat and controversy, but for the moment she just wanted to stay close to him and allow him to heal every wound of her soul.

Sephiroth, on the other hand, was quite cunning and so he thought it was the perfect time to convince Rain to take a step towards the much-desired forgiveness he hoped for... by any means possible. It was really important for him to reconcile with her. And having her back with him, alive and well, close enough to feel her warm breath on his skin, annihilated his control.

Bowing his head and tilting it, the young warrior put his mouth on her neck, making her jump. He didn't let go of her wrists, however letting his hand run along one of the girl's bare hips to the edge of the dark top, while her legs intertwined with one of his. He let the soft tissue of his lips tickle Rain's delicate skin, making short journeys without indulging in an actual act, enjoying the goosebumps it caused her as soon as his breath hit her.

«S- Sephiroth...»

In a gasp, she said his name. Her fingernails closed on the man's knuckles, who didn't seem bothered at all. On the contrary, hearing that single word vibrate faintly in the air only motivated him.

Rubbing his cheek against hers, Sephiroth brought his face back to hers, cruelly brushing her lips never letting them match his own.

Rain waited… she'd wait for hours, if the prize was him, his kiss, or whatever else concerned him.

In reality, however, she didn't have to wait that long.

A bell rang loudly, a few rooms beyond theirs, interrupting them and letting both of them awake from that dream come true.

The man's eyelids parted, his pupils reduced to a sharp line. His hand, tickling the black fabric of Rain's garment, quickly returned to the parquet. His face turned away and his whole body stiffened at sight.

«The alarm.» he recognized, not only very hasty and annoyed, but also aware of having to postpone that interesting reconciliation for another time. He quickly pulled himself up from the floor, followed closely by Rain, who totally changed expression.

She wanted to curse the timing of her misfortune which, as usual, denied her the best moments, but she didn't have time for even such a trivial thing.

«A mako creature approaching...?» she guessed, running to grab a jacket she had left hanging in a corner of the room and covering herself.

Sephiroth nodded once, pragmatic, and strode swiftly towards the door.

«We must hurry. We don't know how long we have left to reach it.» he warned her.

And so, that unexpected but well-received private moment between the two of them ended abruptly as usual, leaving both of them with a feeling of bitterness and, not only that, also a question: would they have been able to act in time to avoid another catastrophe?

* * *

**Chapter 75**

**SHINRA'S SECRET**

Sephiroth and Rainiel rushed into the hidden room where the radar was, soon forgetting what had happened just a few minutes ago.

The screen had turned a flashing red, a yellow light now occupying a small portion of the monitor: it was certainly the mako creature.

Sephiroth took care of the mechanism and managed to silence the alarm, and luckily the icon representing the enemy didn't disappear.

Cloud ran up immediately, noticing the two leaning over the now green screen, and caught his breath.

«I heard the sound! Is it here?» he asked, referring to the monster.

«No.» Sephiroth answered coldly, without taking his eyes off the point of common interest, «But he might come closer. Where's Zack?»

«I haven't met him. I think he stayed upstairs.»

«Then go and warn him. We have to leave immediately.» he ordered.

Cloud stamped his feet on the ground, suddenly more composed.

«Y- Yes, General.» he stammered. Force of habit. Sephiroth was so used to those answers that he didn't even notice.

«There's no need to look for anyone.»

Just then, Zack Fair himself entered the room, a cell phone in his hand and his eyes wide open alternating between the two friends.

«Did you hear the alarm?» Rain asked, taking a few steps towards him.

«As I went down here to the ground floor. But trust me, that's not what worries me.» he said, pursing his lips.

He earned the curious glance of everyone present, naturally confused. What should've worried him, if not a crazy mountain of meat and mako that could destroy the Oasis, the slums and Midgar if it had the chance?

«I got a call from the SOLDIER manager.» he then explained, «He demands that we return to the headquarters. All three of us.» he pointed to himself, Rain, and Cloud. Sephiroth was probably still labeled missing after all. «He told me that the place we explored is safe and that the body of the mako creature has been recovered. He explained to me that they're able to locate creatures thanks to their experiments, and that this area isn't at risk.»

Rainiel listened astonished, looking from him to the screen.

«As I thought... Shinra keeps lying to us. They want us to return to base to avoid having us in the way. They don't want us to meet the creature... but for what reason?» she asked.

«Maybe,» the ex-General at her side answered, «because our presence could interfere with theirs. Look closely: that creature is alive, but still. Shortly after it arrived in this area, something blocked it.»

Rainiel did as asked and walked over to the monitor.

«A trap...?»

The man's clear eyes focused on her, even though she didn't look back.

«Just what I thought about. Shinra is acting in secret this time. Not even SOLDIER can intrude, so it must be an order from someone from the upper floors.»

And, who knows why, Rain had the impression that she knew who this elusive "someone" was.

«We have to reach them.» she declared in fact.

«But... won't it be dangerous? If it's Shinra, they'll probably have the situation under control.» Cloud retorted.

«That's what worries me. Don't think of Shinra as your ally, Cloud. At the moment...» the girl's brow furrowed with her nervous expression, «I'd even call them our worst enemy.» she assured him.

«Get ready, everyone.» Sephiroth commanded, «We'll have to reach the place on foot. We'll meet at the entrance when we're ready to leave.»

With these words from him, the group separated.

Rain followed Zack upstairs and then left him to enter her room. The Aikuchis were resting not far from her bed, so she first took care to wipe off the sweat of training and dress in her typical custom uniform, finally tying the belt on her hips. The equipped materias glowed reassuringly, just like the blades of the short swords that Rain sheathed in a hurry. Untying her reddish hair, she rushed out the door without even closing it and then into the courtyard at the entrance, where she arrived simultaneously with Cloud and Zack. Everyone wore the usual uniforms and the young infantryman, without a loaded rifle, had received as a gift a large steel sword with a black hilt that would have come in handy in battle, also because the boy seemed to know the use of sidearms.

Without wasting another minute, they left for the mission area as silent and swift as ghosts. Nothing could prepare them for what they'd see there on the spot. Or rather, who they'd see.

After several minutes of running, Zack's digital map finally seemed to warn them that they had reached the area they were aiming for.

«Is this the place?» Cloud asked, «I don't see anything.»

Sephiroth's arm lifted in front of him, silencing him with a single gesture. A little later he pointed to a hill not far away. They were on the side of a terribly high cliff, one that reminded Rain of the one on which they had fought the monster of Darefall, and for that very reason she didn't like it at all. Rocks created a natural wall that prevented the vision of space beyond them, unless you reached there.

Still without saying a word, the only thing left to do was reaching the highest point, also barren like everything around them as far as the eye could see except for Midgar, and as soon as they heard curious voices they took shelter behind some boulders.

Rainiel was closest to the crack and she looked out. Sephiroth was beside her and for that he leaned over her and over the rock so they could both observe what was happening.

Neither of them could believe it, initially.

The mako creature was there, there was no denying it... but it was now on the ground, breathless and therefore lifeless.

Groups of soldiers surrounded it, while a red-haired Turk with crossed arms stood in front of it. With one foot, he poked the creature and then backed away, swinging an unusual stick-like weapon.

«No way. It's as good as dead.» he commented with contempt, sheathing the weapon at the edge of which dangerous sparks seemed to be shooting. He had his back turned and Rain couldn't recognize him, but she swore she'd heard that voice elsewhere.

Soldiers hesitantly approached the boy, who had a scruffy look: open jacket, shirt unbuttoned to the chest and unkempt hair.

«Commander? What do we do now?» one of the subordinates questioned him.

«Let's hear what the old man has to say about it and then we'll decide what to do.» he snorted, bored.

«The old man you speak of is terribly disappointed in your behavior.»

This time it was neither he nor one of the other soldiers who spoke.

That shrill, high-pitched voice, bent with anger, was recognizable the instant it reached the rocks behind which the four deserters were taking refuge. Everyone, without exception, recognized that tone of voice and reacted in some way: Rain winced just like Cloud, Sephiroth squeezed his eyelids until his lashes touched and Zack clenched his hands in fists and touched the hilt of the Buster sword.

«The trap should've kept it locked in for a few minutes, not killed it in seconds!» the old man to whom that distinguishable stamp belonged continued to complain.

Rain could see his dark shoes peeking out from her vantage point. He was terribly close.

If he had noticed them, what would've happened?

«We Turks don't deal with these toys. I'm only here because it's a top-secret mission.» the red-haired young man pointed to the trap, «And frankly I don't understand why you didn't hire SOLDIER for this job. Haven't they always taken care of it too?» he complained again.

«Why I didn't isn't any of your business, boy. Rather, I'd like your team to understand that you just took out a subject I needed alive.»

The younger one threw another kick at the creature.

«Honestly, I prefer it dead.» he commented sarcastically.

«Do you think this is a joke, you idiot?» the old man, who wore a long white coat as usual, was seized by a tremor in his arms. «I should've made this a perfect watchdog… but you ruined everything. Now I'll have to look for another one. I hope they entrust me with competent Turks this time.» he offended him without even caring. Hands in his hair, he made a half turn and paced back and forth, tense. «It's really true that if you want something done well then you have to do it yourself!»

The Turk raised his small, clear eyes to the sky, turning away from him. Two scar-like marks adorned his pale cheekbones.

«Whatever. My team's mission ends here.» he declared, «Did you hear, guys? Return to the helicopter. It seems that the science department doesn't need us anymore.» he announced aloud.

He and his men reached the aircraft and took off, leaving in no time.

Good for Rain and her companions: one less danger for them.

But still the scientist and his guards remained on the ground.

One of the latter approached him when he called him.

«Get our helicopter ready, too. This subject is now worm food. Let's go back to Midgar for the moment.»

«Yes, sir.»

The guard answered in a voice a little too mechanical to not sound forced.

Rain leaned forward when she noticed that, which is why Sephiroth caught her arm and pulled her to him, or the bystanders would see her.

But she noticed it anyway: all the soldiers, under their white metal helmets, had similar eyes. Brilliant, mako-infused and, above all, lost in the void, almost opaque eyes.

"Not only did he want to take the monster alive to Midgar to use it for his own purposes, he also conducted experiments on other people as well..." she realized. Understanding it made her blood boil. She felt all the hatred towards him that was brewing in her heart. She wanted him to stop, he had to, or she would've stopped him herself.

And, probably, stopping him was the only thing she could do right now. Just now... now that they were away from Midgar and his labs. He was vulnerable.

Sephiroth should've forgiven her for what she was about to do, and her friends as well. She just couldn't help herself.

With a tug, she freed herself from the hand that held her forearm and leapt away before she could be grabbed again, landing in plain sight right in front of the creature, a few steps from the cliff behind her, and especially under the scientist's eyes.

«You won't return to Midgar... to your crazy experiments and your selfish and perverse games!» she pointed at him, drawing one of the Aikuchis with her other hand. She braced herself for the attack by assuming a more adequate leg position, with her boots pointed to the ground. «I'll stop you from doing that.»

The scientist raised his eyebrows over the thick black glasses and, having brushed off his confused expression, smiled contentedly.

That dark, sick smile... that could only belong to Professor Hojo.


	24. Immortal science / Subject En / Abyss / Guardian Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainiel, Sephiroth, Zack, and Cloud battle Hojo's henchmen. The scientist shows all his cruelty when he puts the lives of all of them at risk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 76: Immortal science  
> • Chapter 77: Subject En  
> • Chapter 78: Abyss  
> • Chapter 79: Guardian angel

* * *

**Chapter 76**

**IMMORTAL SCIENCE**

«Shit.»

Sephiroth almost never swore, he was used to dealing with every situation calmly and rationally, but he didn't think of a more suitable word when he saw Rainiel sneak away from the hiding place of the group, to reveal her presence to those same enemies who they were trying to spy on.

Zack, in turn, hit his forehead as Cloud frowned worriedly.

"That woman is going to be the end of me, someday." thought the General, hardening his eyes. She really would've been, had she continued to act stubbornly as usual. And of course he'd never abandon her to fate and to her crazy ideas, not at all reasoned. Nothing he wasn't already used to, on the other hand...

With a deep sigh, he gripped the hilt of the Masamune, bent upward, and ran to Rainiel's side, lifting it up beside his face with one hand on the hilt and one in front of the blade, ready to attack too.

«You could at least have warned me.» he muttered under his breath to his teammate, without looking directly at her.

«You would've tried to stop me.» she justified herself.

«Absolutely correct.»

Of course, Cloud and Zack showed up too, preparing to fight with their weapons in hand.

Hojo stood in front of them, leading a small group of soldiers. Some of them were infantry or SOLDIERS third-class, but none of them seemed to react to their appearance as if they had no will of their own.

The scientist spread his hands and greeted them with a short laugh.

«Ha ha! What a pleasant surprise! As long as we can talk about surprise...»

His greedy eyes look at all four of them from head to toe, one after the other, but it was clear that he was particularly interested in only two of them.

«Still, what an interesting team. My favorite subjects... I've heard you have bonded a lot lately. Before one of you burned the scientific archives from top to bottom, I mean.» he commented, as treacherous as they both remembered him.

Rain and Sephiroth's expressions explained themselves. With that sentence he had revealed a lot, in a few words. He apparently had been spying on them, he knew everything about the truth - which was nothing new, since he himself was the source of everything, but the problem was how he knew everything - even about fire of the Shinra building, and then... he seemed so pleased to see them together. It was no secret that his experiments were a real obsession for him: seeing his two best results become so intimate was probably like a utopia become reality.

Furthermore, Sephiroth didn't seem pleased to hear what he had done in a time of utter madness repeated. Could he have said it to instill doubt in his companions?

«General... it's a pleasure to meet again. Almost touching, to be honest... we haven't talked face to face in years. Have you finished hiding in the Oasis?» the elder declared, directly to him.

Sephiroth didn't change expression. He was as cool and calm as ever. He wouldn't be mad at some silly provocation. Not even if from him.

«Now have you really decided to desert and betray Shinra and SOLDIER? I expected more a professional behavior from you.» he kept saying to him.

Rainiel noted that Hojo didn't refer to him in a formal way, as he did to others. As if he knew him well. The thought that he was saying similar things to his own son... she couldn't even describe how she felt at that moment. Sephiroth had done harm, sure, but he didn't deserve such a father.

«You see, professor, from my point of view it is Shinra who betrayed me. I discovered a lot in those archives that were so dear to you.» calmly explained the other, spelling out each word meticulously. «Tell me,» he hissed a moment later, «why shouldn't I kill you right this instant?»

Rainiel looked back at Sephiroth, alarmed by his tone of voice. As she feared... his eyes were once again cold, resentful, frozen in a rage unique of its kind, the rage of someone who knew that he was the author of all his misery. She had seen such a look before, albeit not as intense, when he had defended her from a man who had dared to put his hands on her to hurt her... and, unfortunately, also when she had found herself in the dark embrace of death because of him, the Masamune who held her up on tongues of fire that burned her legs.

Sephiroth was sinking back into the vicious vortex from which he had struggled to emerge. That of hatred as the only motivation of his entire life.

«For one simple reason, my boy.» Hojo rubbed his chin. He seemed as calm as he was, as if all of this was natural. He didn't mind having four well-trained soldiers ready to make him pay for any wrongdoing.

The guards next to him gripped the rifles or swords they had with them. There were four in total, two on each side. They hadn't needed any verbal orders, as if they already knew what was going through the scientist's mind.

«The Reunion is not over yet.» the latter grinned. «And unfortunately I just can't allow you to interfere with my plans. So far you've done everything I expected of you, why screw it up right now?» he continued, with a tone of voice similar to that of someone who knows they are talking to a child.

«You and Rainiel… you are the most important pieces of the great puzzle I've been trying to put together for years. My theory is proving to be correct, step by step. You're a real revolution for science.» he exclaimed, full of emotion.

Rain wrinkled her nose in disgust. His expression suddenly reminded her of one of her visions: she was inside a laboratory capsule, and he was watching her with that gaze of his and those slimy ways of all time. The very thought of that made her sick.

And the same was for Sephiroth. Being special didn't mean he could treat him or consider him an experiment. It had to be more than just the monster, the war machine he designed.

«Your science ends here, professor.» in fact theathened the one who had once been a hero, and later had relapsed into wickedness, in which he still floundered at times.

«I'm afraid it doesn't, no.» he smiled, «My science is and will forever be immortal. I can't allow you to intrude right now that we're so close to the grand finale.»

Quietly, Hojo turned away from them and walked towards the helicopter.

«Come on,» he told his guards, «keep my subjects busy. Kill the others. We cannot afford imperfections.»

One of the soldiers grabbed a rifle and aimed at Rainiel, but soon there was a river of blood between his lips and his weapon fell from his hand. Between his shoulder blades protruded the long dark blade of the Masamune, from which red drops dripped. The tip, which had pierced the victim, had almost reached the professor's face behind him.

Sephiroth, sword in hand, had sprinted forward to eliminate the first guard. His merciless gaze was fixed on Hojo, devoid of any emotion. His was a solemn declaration of war.

Rain watched the whole scene, startled like the others, and a silent cry was born and died in her throat.

"He killed him!" she realized. "Did he at least know that they are obliged to respect his will? Would he have killed him anyway, if he were a common soldier?"

Unfortunately she didn't know how to give herself an answer.

Hojo pursed his lips, vaguely surprised.

«I guess we need you too, Subject En.» he called without running away yet.

Behind him was the helicopter he was trying to reach. From it came a big man even taller than Sephiroth, which meant about two meters of height, and with broad shoulders and swollen arms. His eyes, too, seemed dull and shone only with a soft cold light.

«As you can see, 'En' stands for 'Enhanced'. This guy was a SOLDIER third-class like any other, but I only needed to subject him to a minimal amount of Yoshua cells and mako to create a temporarily unbeatable soldier.» he preened without realizing the cruelty of his words. «Have fun, and don't worry: I don't mind seeing my toys break, and they'd die anyway. The alien cells in them have activated a process of degradation.»

It was clear that none of those present could stand it anymore. He had literally sentenced ordinary teens to death, teens who probably had families and dreams, hopes and ambitions. Their life had ended the moment Hojo had put his hands on them.

Rainiel could no longer bear the idea that the scientist continued to behave like this. He had caused too much pain. Maybe Sephiroth was right: they had to kill him right away.

The person concerned went away in his own helicopter, the propellers began to turn faster and faster. He was running away.

Subject En stood in front of Sephiroth, not at all frightened, when he withdrew the weapon and the eliminated soldier fell to the ground lifeless.

Another battle awaited them, but this time they wouldn't have to face common mako beasts. Those in front of them were human beings whose lives had been turned upside down by the game of a madman. This would've made things more difficult.

* * *

**Chapter 77**

**SUBJECT EN**

Hojo was aboard the helicopter now, but Sephiroth knew one thing for sure: he wouldn't let him escape that easily.

The hilt of the Masamune rotated in his left hand for a more firm grip, and the warrior struck a straight blow to subject En's legs to get rid of him.

The augmented soldier, however, dodged his attack by simply jumping and tried to return his favor by trying to hit him with a right hook.

Sephiroth, leaner and more agile, easily avoided the danger, bending his neck the minimum necessary to avoid it and lowering himself, turning on one knee to overcome it. He'd face him later, he told himself, because for now his main focus was someone else. He started running for the helicopter as it rose into the air, the Masamune ready to cut the entire aircraft in half.

Behind him the real battle had begun. Hojo's genetically engineered guards attacked the three younger warriors and Cloud, wanting to be useful, was the first to launch himself at subject En.

With sword in hand, giving himself the necessary boost with a run up, he charged him with all of his power... but that was a bad idea. En blocked his sword with the strength of one hand, clutching it in his fist and lowering it slowly. Cloud didn't let himself be discouraged: he tried to insist, but despite the hand of the mutated SOLDIER dripping blood due to the sharp blade, the enemy managed to snatch the weapon from his hands and, brandishing it from the opposite side, hit Cloud with a loud blow of the hilt straight to the head, with enough force to send it several meters farther, probably unconscious.

Rainiel was busy confronting another of the guards, but she saw the danger.

«Cloud!» she screamed at the top of her lungs, but getting distracted she risked getting hit and she had to take care to save her own skin first of all.

Fortunately, Sephiroth heard her cry and, more by instinct than by rationality, he turned towards the youngest of the group.

Cloud lay on the ground, his forehead bruised and dripping with blood, unable to defend himself. En approached him menacingly, after dropping the weapon to the ground. He'd kill him with his bare hands.

... Unless he intervened. He thought about it for a moment: what should he do? Let Hojo escape and take refuge in his little paradise in the Shinra building, thus saving the hapless boy who was about to be brutally eliminated? Or maybe feed his grudge by cutting off the head of the man who had brought him to life with the sole purpose of making him a weapon, sacrificing the infantryman that he hardly knew anyway?

Taking that idea into consideration made him waver. He tried to think about how Rainiel would react if she read his cruel thoughts. Or maybe, what he would've thought of himself a few years ago, or what Angeal and Genesis would've said to him, one obsessed with honor and the other with the idea of becoming a hero. Imagining their disappointed looks was enough to make him doubt himself in less than a few seconds: what the hell was he doing? The answer to that question was clearer than he thought.

"I'll have my chance." he repeated to himself, watching the helicopter move away from his reach. "Don't try to think you can sleep peacefully, professor."

With a dash, he turned back and blocked the way for the enemy who was approaching his ally.

It was the last thing Cloud saw before giving in to the pain and closing his eyelids.

En threw himself at him, furious. He was aggressive as a wild beast, but he would've thought of giving him a memorable lesson. Cloud was safe now.

Rain noticed it and couldn't help but smile, realizing that not all hope for Sephiroth was lost: he wasn't evil, he couldn't feel only hatred. And now she had to win that battle for him too, to be able to thank him for making that choice.

In turn, Zack was keeping busy the other two guards who had chosen him as their target. He hit one of the men with the Buster sword, knocking him to the ground and hitting him with a kick that sent him against a boulder. He knew those soldiers were destined to die anyway, but he just couldn't get rid of the innocents, Hojo's victims. Stun them and knock them out for the time it took to finish the battle and leave the area would've been more than enough, at least for him.

He was about to turn and face the other enemy when a barrage of bullets hit him in the arm. Zack reacted with a broken moan and, luckily, his reflexes were quick enough to pull away and find cover behind a rock before hewas hit in the back too. Forcefully, he dabbed the wounds on his arm, which burned heavily. The adrenaline helped him not to care too much about the pain: he had to go back to fighting, whatever his condition was. For this reason he jumped on the rock and prepared to attack the other guard, the same person who had hurt him.

To his surprise, however, he noticed that Rainiel had sprinted ahead of him in his direction. She had disarmed the soldier with a quick kick and her Aikuchis had dug into one of the flanks of the opponent, but he stepped back and pulled a short sword from the belt tied at his waist.

Rainiel didn't give up and, to protect Zack and allow him to recover, she didn't even give him time to find the right balance, throwing him to the ground and blocking any of his movement.

She then raised the blades, out of breath, into his chest.

"Forgive me. I know it's not your fault, but I'll avenge you." she swore pursing her lips. She didn't want to kill innocent people either, it was quite the opposite of what she hoped to do by becoming a hero, but those crazed soldiers had no hope and could indeed have been dangerous for her friends. Regretfully, she had to eliminate the young soldier. She returned to Zack soon after, grim-faced.

«Thanks, Rain!» he exclaimed, patting her on the shoulder. «Hey... you did everything you could.» he reminded her then, noticing how she had lowered her face.

She looked away. She didn't want to talk about it, and it wasn't a good time to deal with her guilt, but she still appreciated his words.

«Cloud and Sephiroth...» she then remembered, starting to move. They had to help them too.

Sephiroth was fighting with subject En: he had hit him several times, the giant warrior had wounds upon wounds - and it was clear that the Masamune wasn't a toy - but he seemed not to care at all. Yoshua's cells and the amount of mako he was exposed to had made him a bloodthirsty monster. He had to be stopped at all costs.

Cloud was far away, but he was about to be joined by one of the soldiers that Rain had left behind to rescue Zack, so the latter thought of protecting him in turn and ran to him, while the girl sling at the side of the ex- General, who had just been pushed away by En.

With his boots, the man cushioned the blow just a few meters from the cliff behind him, then letting the long katana turn in one hand to change the handle and launch a different attack from the one that has now proved useless against that type of enemy.

Rainiel was immediately beside him, Aikuchis in her hands and a determined gaze.

«I thought you might need a hand.» she hissed in amusement, waiting for any sign from him.

«Hiw thoughtful of you.» he replied just as jokingly, but without forgetting the fight in which they found themselves.

The advantage of having Rain on his side was their synchrony in combat: the two had always trained together, by now they knew each other's techniques well and any slightest gesture could help them to communicate without wasting breath.

Precisely for this reason, when he turned his feet in the direction of the place he intended to reach, Rain knew that he was about to spring forward. In the blink of an eye, they were both back in front of Subject En, and they parted ways to confuse and besiege him from different sides.

Sephiroth aimed again at his legs, at the height of the ankles, while Rain jumped and reached the shoulders of the enemy. With a blow she removed his helmet and the tips of her weapons scratched his shoulders, marking red lines down to the shoulder blades, as he was too busy dodging the blow of the other, who nevertheless managed to wound him in the foot. With that, walking became incredibly more difficult. What he could do was repay in kind the silver-haired man who'd done him that damage by charging a quick kick that could hit him in the chest and out of the way for a while.

Rainiel's idea of preventing him from doing so was instinctive, even though she knew very well that Sephiroth could dodge his every single movement, slower than his own, nevertheless he was unable to remain idle and, while her companion pulled back skilfully avoiding that one attack, she leapt up to land in front of him and let the Aikuchis stab the opponent's calf.

The latter, however, wasted no time and immediately returned to the offensive, ignoring the pain in his leg. Leaning forward, he grabbed Rain's throat with both hands and lifted the girl into midair, yanking her.

She immediately felt short of breath and tried to hit the arm that was holding her, in vain. Subject En didn't seem to want to give up. As if that weren't enough, his superhuman strength led Rain to seriously worry about her own safety, and to think faster to find a way to free herself, feeling the skin burn under his fingers. She couldn't even scream, he held her too tightly. His eyes, bright and fierce, were looking at her, looking forward to killing her.

Sephiroth, of course, wouldn't let that happen. If he had doubts about rescuing Cloud, the idea of wasting time when she was in danger didn't even bother him.

«Rain!» he exclaimed worriedly, feeling a rush of icy rage run through his chest. He wouldn't let En harm a single hair of her.

Like a bolt of lightning, he started running and the Masamune scratched the ground. The air sliding along the steel made a noise like a lethal melody, after which the blade rose and fell immediately afterwards like a fury on the arms of subject En. This time it took just enough force to get him more than a few superficial cuts.

As En screamed, Rainiel fell to the ground and felt Sephiroth's left arm cushion her fall by pressing on her shoulders, then supporting her and helping her up. Soon he pulled her away, and they both jumped back.

«That was close...» she breathed, after coughing hard. She still felt her throat and chest burning.

The ex-General's eyes were on her, cautious and alert. They relaxed only to see that the worst damage had been a large red mark around her neck. It'd disappear quickly.

«Let's finish this.» he then suggested in a serious voice, already determined enough to want to put an end to that fight, hired just to keep both of them busy.

Rainiel nodded: she couldn't have agreed more.

It was enough for them to exchange a knowing glance, and soon both were ready to attack. They moved the same way, assuming the same stance, and retried an attack from different sides.

Quick as the wind they reached the sides of En, now badly injured and unable to defend himself except with his legs, which were their next target. A back cut at the knees led him to bend to the ground right on them, after which the Masamune and the Aikuchis hit his sides several times. Eventually, having fallen in front of En again, the weapon handles were pulled back, rotated to assume the correct angle, and then shot forward again.

An Aikuchi and the tip of the Masamune pierced from side to side the chest of the kneeling enemy, who could only let out a grotesque cry.

The bright eye aids slowly faded, and when the weapons were withdrawn, En fell to the ground with his face against the dust and a thud, raising a cloud of dirt.

Wearily, Rainiel didn't claim victory and turned her gaze to Zack and Cloud, who fortunately were fine. The first of them had got rid of all the remaining guards.

Now all that remained was to check in what condition Cloud was in.

* * *

**Chapter 78**

**ABYSS**

Sephiroth wanted to reach the helicopter, but he forgot his grudge for a while and both he and Rain sheathed their weapons and joined Zack and Cloud. The latter was on the ground, his forehead dark and bloodied, and breathing heavily.

Rainiel threw herself to the ground beside him, lifting his head with one hand.

«Cloud! Cloud, can you hear me? Answer me!» she tried to shake him gently, scared.

«He's unconscious...» Zack informed, standing next to her.

Sephiroth knelt on the other side, placing his fingers on one of his wrists and then pulling a tuft from his forehead to inspect the wound.

«He'll recover soon. He needs treatment, but he'll be fine.» he reassured them both, standing up.

Rain heaved a sigh of relief and let the young infantryman rest his head on the ground slowly, before carefully running a hand through his hair.

«You did good, Cloud. You tried to protect Sephiroth.» she commented, as if that could make him feel better.

«He shouldn't have done that.» asserted the other sternly, «He was an opponent beyond his reach. To risk his life in such a way... it was a stupid choice.»

Zack gave him a dirty look - he was talking about his best friend, after all.

«I think a simple "thank you" is enough.» he dared to say, challenging his cold gaze.

Rainiel sighed, wanting to keep them from arguing at such a time.

«Sometimes people do stupid things to save their friends.» she explained to the young ex-General. «Any of us would have done the same.»

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed and moved elsewhere. He probably didn't want to admit that he was the one wrong, letting Cloud attack an enemy too strong for him, preferring to chase after Hojo. He didn't comment and didn't want to insist, rather checking the professor's helicopter. It was high in the sky and buzzing right over them, probably wanting to ensure the defeat of his subjects before returning to Midgar.

Rainiel continued to watch over Cloud, thinking of a way to bring him back to the Oasis without compromising his health and aggravating his condition, while Zack took a few steps away to reach the mako monster caught in Shinra's trap, one that had him mortally wounded and killed in seconds... or at least it seemed.

«Where are you going, Zack?» Rain asked curiously.

«I want to check that our friend here is really dead. I have no desire to fight it too when it has recovered.» he explained to her.

«I think it really is. Didn't you see what condition it is in?»

Calmly, Rain got up and walked over to Zack, alongside him.

Meanwhile, high in the sky in his personal helicopter, Hojo sat watching his subjects fail miserably in their assignment.

«They've all been eliminated, sir.» one of the mutated soldiers who stood beside him informed him.

«Professor.» he corrected him, somewhat rudely, before rubbing his chin hard, «And yes, I can see it.»

«Shall we go back to the laboratory?»

«Of course. But first... why not leave them another small gift?» the old man grinned again. «You brought that toy with you as I asked you, didn't you?» he asked.

The soldier nodded.

«Yes, professor. It is charged and ready to use.»

«Excellent. Get it now.»

The soldier turned and pulled a huge, long, dangerous white firearm from the rear of the helicopter. One very similar to a rocket launcher.

«That raven-haired boy..» Hojo pointed to Zack, right next to Rain, «Kill him.»

«Yes, professor.»

On the ground, Zack was still controlling the creature.

«What if they just put it asleep?»

«Zack... it's not breathing.» Rain sighed, «Now let's go. Cloud needs medical attention and we're no exception. For today we've done everything possible.»

«If you say so...»

Rainiel started walking back towards the other two, when she thought she heard the sound of the propellers getting slightly closer to them. Lifting her eyes to Sephiroth, she followed the direction of his gaze as she saw his expression change to a more alarmed one and his body stiffen, moving forward to reach them.

At that point, she noticed a soldier picking up the huge weapon and pointing it straight in the direction she and Zack were standing, her friend hadn't noticed anything.

She didn't think twice.

Before even taking cover, she spun around and pushed Zack away with all her strength.

«Get down now!!!»

A barrier of rock rose before him thanks to the girl's power as he fell to the ground, a few meters away.

A moment later, a powerful rocket struck the ground just a few feet from Rain's feet. There was a great explosion, a shower of debris, and a loud and frightening noise. The cliff the girl was standing on collapsed, exactly as it did in Darefall, but this time it took her with it.

The girl had been pushed away by the impact, and then slipped into space as if she were a feather in the middle of a hurricane. All under the eyes of Zack and Sephiroth, astonished and worried more than ever on the edge of the cliff.

Zack was still a bit stunned from the explosion, but he got up anyway coughing hard and calling out his friend's name.

«Rain!!! No!!!» he screamed at the top of his lungs, climbing over the stone wall that had protected him and reaching the edge of the precipice.

His friend was falling inexorably, and not like that time, a few days before, when she fell from the shoulders of the winged monster she was facing. The overhang was so high that falling from such a point would mean certain death.

As if he could do something, Zack threw his chest against the ground, eyes wide, and reached out to the abyss, unable to do anything. If he jumped, he'd die.

«Rainiel!!!» he screamed again, with tears in his eyes.

The girl fell into space, terrified.

"I'm going to die." she could only think. "I have to find of a way to..."

Her heart was pounding. She couldn't realize what was happening. For how much speed she had assumed in the fall, time seemed to run terribly too slow. Panic enveloped her like a cruel shadow. Now she had to act.

She tried to use her power to create roots to support her, but they didn't grow in time, and the few that managed to reach her broke under her weight due to gravity.

"I can't... I can't do it..."

A tear wanted to wet her face, but she splashed away into the air.

"Am I... am I really dying...?"

Zack was trying to find a way to save her. Any one. What could he have done? Was there a solution? A materia that he could use, something that she could grasp? Of course not, he couldn't do anything but look. He wanted to scream and pull his hair, but he was petrified.

And then, almost as if it was a hallucination, a black shadow darted past him and he plunged into the void.

It took him a few seconds to figure out what or who it was. When he finally focused on the scene, he could see what happened.

Sephiroth had literally launched himself into that abyss of his own free will, with his usual marble expression, his arms outstretched and hopefully a plan in mind as well.

"Why did he do it?" Zack wondered, shocked. What crazy idea had jumped into his mind? Did he want to die too? Was he out of his mind? What did he think he was doing?

But Sephiroth explained nothing to him. Besides, how could he? In turn, he was falling quickly in Rain's direction, ready to reach her, to grab her. But what would he do next?

Zack didn't know. He gasped, watching helplessly any subsequent event hoping for a miracle.

* * *

**Chapter 79**

**GUARDIAN ANGEL**

Rainiel kept her eyes closed. She could hear her tears begging to be shed, to no avail. What was the point of crying at such a time? It wouldn't have solved anything.

Her body felt incredibly lighter, almost weightless, as if she were suspended in the air rather than at the mercy of void and gravity. She had a few moments of life left, a life she had sacrificed to save a friend's. She was glad she was dying as the hero she had always wanted to be, but she wouldn't have expected to end like this. She still had so many unresolved questions that to leave that world in such a way and in such a moment felt like a real defeat, even if it meant reuniting in the Lifestream with her parents.

Then, her instinct prompted her to open her eyes. Something had obscured the sun high in the sky burning on her and this intrigued her. So when she parted her lids and gasped upward, her heart skipped a beat.

Sephiroth was over her, looking at her determined and seemed to get closer and closer to her. His lips moved as if to say something, but the sound of the wind didn't allow her to understand what he was saying.

He had thrown himself in to save her.

Was she just imagining it? Was this simply a vision due to the panic prior to her death?

She didn't mind dying in his eyes. It was the second time she had risked her life and, at the last moment, she found herself staring into his face. The first time Sephiroth was trying to kill her, now to save her life. Impossible to think that it wasn't much time between the two episodes, but it all made perfect sense to her knowing the truth and understanding the workings of her mentor's mind and spirit.

She tried to retrace their story quickly, with memory, as if a video had been projected before her eyes.

She didn't remember that Sephiroth was just a baby when he had held her in a cold laboratory, wrapped in a blanket. She was convinced that their first meeting had occurred many years later, at the Shinra Building, when he had named her SOLDIER third-class and assigned her to Genesis as his pupil. For other years, they had barely managed to cross paths by accident. After that, he had rescued her - and this only a few months ago - from one of the R-Copies she was facing. He had asked her to become his pupil, as he was surprised by her abilities and her dedication, and they had spent a lot of time together since. They had always been united, in the best moments and especially in the worst ones. Rain had found refuge in his arms after she ran away from home in Darefall, and also when she discovered she had lost both parents. Sephiroth had been there for her when Rain just wanted to forget everything and slowly let herself go to fate. And then... something had changed.

All that time, all their talk, all that had happened between them... she had let something snap between them that she couldn't put into words.

Sudden closeness, accidentally touching each other, holding hands, their first kiss... if Rainiel could've lived longer, she'd never forget any of this, she was sure. It meant too much to her.

And then the worst had happened. Secrets, arguments, flames, smoke and blood. She found herself one step away from death on the blade of the Masamune, in front of those same eyes who now hoped to reach her in time to be able to save her life.

And then again a barely whispered sentence, repentance, exile. They hadn't seen each other for a long month, or maybe longer. Rainiel should've learned to hate him, but she never did. She continued to think only and exclusively of him, to promise herself that perhaps, one day, she'd see him again.

When that happened, that wall she had built in front of her had given way. There was no barrier to resist what she felt for him: something that she could not describe in words, which perhaps went far beyond the simplicity of what can be explained. Something she had never felt for anyone else before.

So, when her deep blue eyes gazed upon the teal ones on her, now closer, and as the ground grew closer and more dangerous, she realized, perhaps too late, something she should've realized from the first moment she had met him again.

"I'm sorry, Sephiroth." she wanted to say, but she just thought so. He wouldn't have heard her anyway. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I would've liked to forgive you. I would've liked to make things right, and tell you how I feel."

Slowly, her face lit up with the only ray of sunlight that filtered behind the ex-General. Her eyes narrowed, wet with tears, her expression relaxed. A docile smile was born on her face, the most sincere she could offer him. The last thing she, in fact, could leave him of herself.

Three words formed in her mind, in her throat, but she couldn't say them. She kept them to himself, a dying fire in her chest. She would've kept them deep in her heart, in that world or another. Of this she was certain.

And so she, with that smile on her face, prepared to die.

She thought she had solved everything, or at least part of every problem, and that that was enough to put the soul of him and Zack, or any other person who'd suffer her loss, in peace. She hadn't come to terms with just one thing...

... Maybe she was ready to say goodbye to that world and the people around her, but Sephiroth wasn't. He wasn't ready to let her die. Not now, not after everything they had gone through together. He couldn't let it all end like this.

His eyes flared with a new light, a cold fire as bold as determined, and suddenly Rain could see hope again.

Black feathers fell on her, then floated several meters higher. The sun was completely obliterated by a great dark shadow, a very elegant angelic wing that unfolded in the air, black as night and sharp as if it were made up of tiny swords.

The wing, born from Sephiroth's right shoulder, quickly folded allowing him to increase the speed with which he himself was falling, or rather, he was throwing himself into the void.

Before Rainiel could really realize how much was happening in front of her own eyes, and just before her back hit the barren ground meters and meters away from the edge of the precipice from which she had been thrown, she felt the man's arms stop her fall by encircling her back and then her legs.

Without a word, Sephiroth hugged her, narrowing his eyes and concentrating on calculating that important trajectory well.

As if it were a whiplash, he immediately swerved direction with Rainiel in his arms and used the same momentum to cushion the speed by climbing a few meters. He closed the raven wing around the girl to protect her from the strong wind as she clinged on to him still frightened, and spun before lowering more slowly to the ground.

A victorious cry, probably Zack's, reached them from a great distance, right from the edge of the cliff.

Now on the ground and safe, Sephiroth reached down and let go of Rain who, still stunned, dropped to her knees and took a deep breath.

It took them both a few seconds to recover, unable to utter a single word, out of breath and unable to move.

Soon after, Rain actually came up with the idea that she was still alive by a miracle. And that miracle was right in front of her, a guardian angel watching her with an expression that she couldn't immediately understand.

«S...» she tried to speak, testing her voice. Her throat was dry, as if she hadn't drunk in weeks, but the sound still formed. «... Sephiroth...»

She was immediately shaken by the two hands that landed on her shoulders, forcing her to come closer.

The man in front of her looked at her from head to toe, checking her condition as the huge, single wing behind him lowered to the ground, kicking up dust. His eyes scanned her with unique accuracy, unable to relax. Only when he noticed that the only damage done was a few scratches and small burns here and there from the rocket's explosion, she could finally find peace and even breathe a long sigh of relief.

«Rain...»

Rain thought she could ask him a few questions, but then she felt herself being pulled closer to him again and suddenly noticed that he was pressing his forehead against hers as he held her close to him, eyes closed and tired, muscles now relaxed.

«You can't even imagine,» he revealed in a low, scratchy voice, «how much I feared I didn't act in time.»

His whisper was slow and calm, like that of a person who finally allows himself a moment of rest after an incredible effort. This was probably the same occasion.

Rain finally felt the adrenaline subside to make room for awareness.

Sephiroth had saved her life for the umpteenth time, putting even his in danger.

The young mentor had to put aside his pride that time, and let go of his fearless and unabashed war hero facade to make room for a side of his personality that only Rain was allowed to see.

As if that were the thing he needed most right now, he hugged her by bending his back to balance the height that separated them, dropping his head on one of her shoulders as he refused to let her go or loosen the grip around her.

«Try not to risk your life anymore at least for a while, okay?» he asked eagerly.

«Is that an order, General?» she hissed playfully, before lifting her hands on his shoulders to reciprocate the gesture.

She heard him blow a soft laugh right into her ear.

«A request.»

«Then I can't promise you that I will.» she replied, equally amused.

They stood so still for a while, thanking whatever had allowed Sephiroth to be quick enough to save Rain's life in such a critical situation. Above all, to enjoy each other's presence, which meant more than any wealth in the world, more than anything else.

They were still there together.


	25. Strategy / Our last night / One breath / Creator and creature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally alone, and aware that this could be their last night alive, Sephiroth and Rainiel let themselves go to their feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 80: Strategy  
> • Chapter 81: Our last night  
> • Chapter 82: One breath  
> • Chapter 83: Creator and creature

* * *

**Chapter 80**

**STRATEGY**

The moment of tenderness, unfortunately, soon ended.

Sephiroth was awakened from his relief by the sound of the helicopter becoming more muffled in the air, a sign that it was getting away.

He wrapped his hands around Rain's shoulders one last time, before turning to see the craft pull away. He wanted to fly there at great speed and use his Masamune to cut it in half, plunging the crew, including Hojo of course, to the ground to return the favor. He could've killed Rainiel, or Zack, or Cloud. That was why he couldn't forgive him.

«Hey, over there!» a voice cried from above, right from the precipice.

The former General followed the sound with his eyes, noting Zack reaching out to be seen.

«Come back up! It's safe now!» he tried to make himself heard, not without some difficulty.

Rain got up slowly and Sephiroth, noticing her legs were shaking, helped her, especially when he saw one of her knees give out suddenly. By supporting her, he managed to get her back into balance.

«It's okay, Rain. Hold on to me.»

She, stubborn as usual, tried to gesticulate.

«No, I can do it... I just have to...»

«Climb the rock face?» Sephiroth gave her a stern look, and she understood. This was no time for playing hero.

A little timidly, she approached him again, aware that it was her only way of returning to the others.

Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her, running a hand through her hair before taking any other steps. A quick but very thoughtful gesture, which he had allowed himself now that they were both away from Zack and Cloud. And then he, of course, couldn't help but say he was happy to have saved her life.

The black wing unfolded again, more majestic and elegant than ever, and soon both feet broke off the ground.

Rainiel wasn't a lover of heights. She preferred to stay on the ground, and above all not look down, which is why she instinctively relied on him squeezing him more and closing her eyelids tightly, forcing herself to breathe slowly.

When she opened her eyes, she was now on the ground. Sephiroth had taken a step away and his one angelic wing had vanished into thin air.

Zack ran towards her like a fury, jumping on her and hugging her until she lost her breath.

«Rain! Damn, never do something like that again, you hear me?» he screamed a few inches from her ear, stunning her, before retreating and observing her again placing his hands on her shoulders. "«Are you okay? Are you hurt? Tell me everything's fine, please...»

She rubbed her head, tired.

«I'm fine... the explosion confused me, but Sephiroth...» she glanced at the man, who looked back at her for a moment before turning his back on them to leave them alone and head to Cloud, still unconscious.

«He saved you. I saw it.»

Zack's tone dropped suddenly. The boy bit his lip before moving to his side, turning and calling the name of the young man with long silver hair.

«Sephiroth...?»

He just looked at him curiously.

«... Thank you. Really.» the SOLDIER lowered his head, a little proudly but certainly also grateful, «If you hadn't been here today, Rain...»

«No need to thank me.» he interrupted him, again pragmatic and expressionless, «I did what anyone else would've done.» he said before turning his gaze to Rain, «... and I was keeping a promise.» he added.

Rainiel raised her eyebrows, not understanding, but Zack ripped her from her thoughts before she could ask more questions, returning to shake her with enthusiasm.

«Know that I am furious, my friend!» he pouted, «Don't risk your life anymore, neither for me nor for anyone else, please. If you weren't there anymore, I...»

«You know I can't do it.» Rainiel smiled at him, but shortly after she hugged him lovingly. «But I'll be careful. The important thing now is that you're well.»

Sephiroth looked away again, lowering himself to check Cloud's condition without a word, and Zack returned her hug.

«We should get back to the Oasis before more of Hojo's bizarre minions arrive.» meanwhile commented the eldest of the group, attracting their attention.

Zack walked away from Rain only to run to Cloud and slowly lift him up to support him. He loaded him onto his back, with a smile that yielded to his concern.

«I agree. Cloud needs to recover... and, frankly, so do we.»

Rain took a deep breath.

«You bet.» she confirmed.

So, a few hours later, all four found themselves at the large villa of the Oasis, but they knew they had to leave as soon as possible. It was most likely under the direct control of the science department and this meant that Professor Hojo could access a lot of information or even their whereabouts. They had to pay a lot of attention.

Cloud didn't come to his senses yet, even though he was out of danger. Zack laid him on a bed in the upstairs bedrooms and carefully medicated his wounds together with Rain, after which the three remaining warriors could enjoy a hot shower and a well-deserved rest. They decided that they'd all get together that evening to discuss the strategies to adopt and, in short, how to behave now that they were sure that Hojo was really up to something.

So soon the sun went down and the pale moon rose and, in the radar room, the three gathered to make that vital decision.

«I'm pretty sure Yoshua is inside Hojo's lab.» Rain guaranteed, her fists clenched against her hips.

«How can you tell?» Zack cocked his head.

Sephiroth independently deduced what the answer might be.

«It is clear that Hojo's experiments aren't finished, and that the mako creatures are probably drawn to their only common point, which is Yoshua.»

Rain nodded. She couldn't have explained it any better.

«I don't question it, but what if it was his trick to confuse us and waste our time?» the other boy speculated, «I'd say our primary problem isn't even Yoshua, but Hojo himself. As long as that man is free to act as he wishes, he won't cease to cause problems and so much pain.»

Rainiel remembered the dead eyes of the guards she had faced and killed just hours ago. Her heart squeezed, thinking they were teens like everyone else, deprived of everything they had.

«You're right, Zack.» she then said, drawing their attention to her, «Hojo's a danger on the loose. I don't like resorting to violence against people... but it's clear that he needs to be stopped.»

«I couldn't agree more.» Sephiroth said. The flame of resentment still burned brightly deep in his clear irises. «I have enough reasons to pierce his heart with my Masamune. I don't see why to wait.»

Rainiel tried to placate his soul with a glance, but she knew very well that she couldn't blame him. They were both primary experiments of that mad scientist who had destroyed their lives before they could even begin. There was no possibility of redemption for such a monster.

Zack sighed.

«We've already passed the point of no return. We're now SOLDIER deserters, and we probably will be until Hojo wants to drag the two of you back to his lab for some reason.»

He rubbed his head. Until a month ago, he'd never have dreamed of being in the same situation that perhaps even Angeal and Genesis had faced.

«Then let's act as soon as possible. Every second that passes, Hojo puts his unhealthy ideas into practice. We don't know how many people he's willing to sacrifice for this science he loves so much.» proposed the long-haired man, stiff and inflexible.

«Tomorrow.» Rain announced. «Tomorrow we'll return to Midgar and, in secret, we'll enter Hojo's laboratory. He'll certainly be there. And at that point...»

«Wait... tomorrow?» Zack repeated.

«Exactly. However, we cannot spend any more time here at the Oasis, it is not a safe place. Tomorrow we'll deal with the showdown. And then...»

She tried to think of a possible future, something not at all simple considering that her life was in constant danger. She didn't know where she'd be tomorrow, after that fight.

«... We'll see.» conclided the raven-haired SOLDIER. «I see. In fact, time is money in these cases. Then we should discuss a strategy and backup plans. Sneaking into the Shinra Building without being noticed won't be easy.»

«It won't be a problem, trust me.» Sephiroth spoke, arms folded, taking a step towards them. «The Shinra Building is a seventy-story labyrinth. It is logical that there are secret entrances and exits.»

«And how do you know?» the younger boy almost stammered.

The other replied with a half grin.

«Being the General of SOLDIER always brings some advantages. Having reckless friends, even more so.» he just said.

Rain shook her head, incredulous as much as amused. That man probably knew everything he needed to know.

«Then the plan simplifies. Or at least the beginning of it...» the girl took a deep breath, before alternating her gaze between the two companions present. «And then... there's the laboratory.»

She imagined that area and that fantasy didn't reassure her. She had been born right there, about twenty years ago, but she had only had quick glimpses of that macabre place. Who knows what effect it would've had on her to set foot there... right there, where Yoshua was probably also.

It was also up to her to choose a strategy. Now she had to put her pain aside and think of only one way to solve that problem.

She had to do it for herself, for her parents, for all the victims of the professor's experiments.

She had to do it... to finally embrace her dream and define herself as a hero.

* * *

**Chapter 81**

**OUR LAST NIGHT**

The meeting to discuss the plan ended in the evening. It was organized one that could include retreats in emergency cases, and all eventualities that could've occurred forcing the heroes to diverge from the original idea were considered. With the hope of being cautious enough and not having missed anything, by now almost midnight, Zack chose to dissolve the small assembly and retire to his room, to check Cloud's condition and then take a well-deserved rest until the following morning. After all, they would've nearly another full day of travel and would arrive with the favor of darkness.

As the younger boy walked through the door leaving the radar and the two companions behind after wishing them a good night, Sephiroth thought of imitating him and, having breathed deeply into what appeared to be a suppressed yawn - even the super SOLDIERs felt tired, in the end - he spoke one last time to Rain, who'd be the last in the room.

«Good night, then.» he murmured turning around and heading for the exit.

Rain felt the urge to stop him. She hadn't had a chance to talk to him yet.

«Wait...» she said, taking a step towards him, biting her lip and starting nervously fiddling with her nails.

In profile, he watched her through a curtain of silver hair.

«Yes?» he asked her, to know what she wanted to tell him.

She looked troubled. Her gaze refused to meet his, her fingers moving anxiously between themselves. She opened her mouth several times, but she couldn't make up her mind and form a single right word for at least a few seconds. Then, finally, she regained her lost courage.

«We... we didn't talk... about what happened today.» she reminded him, but left him a little confused.

Many things had happened that day. Starting with the curious hand-to-hand fight of that morning which, now in a moment of tranquility, certainly both remembered well. Was she really referring to that? Sephiroth wasn't entirely convinced for it, although rare as an event, took a back seat compared to what they had to go through only a few hours later.

The battle, her fall, the rescue. What had seemed to last an eternity in the moment it had unfolded now turned out to be nothing more than a series of quick, blurred moments in his mind. But he could've sworn he saw her smile at him as she fell, after looking into her eyes.

«There's no need to thank me, if that's what you want to do.» he reassured her. How many times had he already told her? By now protecting her had become a habit, not because she was too reckless - it would've been hard not to be, leading a life like this - but because he felt the perennial instinct to keep her safe. She, a capable fighter up to the glorious first class of SOLDIER... still seemed so fragile that she could break like crystal from one moment to the next. And he couldn't, he didn't want to let such a thing happen.

«Ah, I'm afraid thanking you wouldn't be enough.» Rain let out an ironic cough, moving on to rub her arm.

Intrigued, Sephiroth turned to her, waiting for her to talk. He crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his chin.

Rain pretended to find something more interesting inside the room, although it was practically impossible. She knew very well what power his gaze had on her, that proud and placid expression, always victorious. A quick glance was enough... and she could already feel her belly go into turmoil.

«You threw yourself into the void to save my life. It isn't even the first time that you've intervened to protect me, but this time... it had a whole other meaning.» she took a deep breath, trying to keep some distance both physically and emotionalyl. But really, she thought then, why on earth would she have to keep doing this?

Sephiroth could've asked for further explanation, but he didn't. He knew that by keeping quiet she'd go on alone. And so it was.

«What happened in the scientific archive… really turned my whole life upside down. The last few months have been an impossible challenge, and I'm surprised I'm still here to talk about it. In that fire... I was afraid I had lost another important person in my life, that he had succumbed once and for all to the monster that others have always wanted him to become. That thought scared me more than my own death.» she revealed, this time opening her heart to the truth of what she had felt in those difficult times, «I thought I had to hate the man you became, really. I wanted to do it with all my heart, but as I said I just couldn't. And I tried a huge guilt for that too. I thought myself a naive fool... one unable even to feel such a simple thing as hatred.»

She said so, but she knew she was wrong: hatred wasm't simple at all. Especially when other feelings were preparing to counter it.

«So… I meant it's nice to know I'm not completely wrong. The resistance that I imposed on myself was not in vain, because you allowed me to see the truth.»

Innocently, Rain took a single step towards the man, who continued to listen carefully and silently.

«You are not a monster, Sephiroth.» she asserted again, «You are just a person who's been through some very bad things, as I am. As many are.»

She stopped. She had to get some fresh air, keep steady the courage that pushed her to continue talking. «And, even if I haven't proved it, I've always known it. After all, I've never doubted that. I just needed to remind myself, and what happened today was like a sudden awakening. Do you know what I thought, as I fell into the void just waiting to die?» she asked.

Sephiroth's expression hadn't changed much, he simply had lost the little haughty note of all time to leave room for absolute seriousness.

«What?» he asked, though he had already grasped the truth.

«How sorry I was that I still haven't forgiven you.» she replied in one breath, «I mean… I actually did. Maybe the moment I saw you again. Maybe always. It's just that I never wanted to admit it, or to tell you. And I thought I wasted all my time trying to be the hero I once wanted to become, forgetting something equally fundamental.» Her eyes lifted faintly to him, large and bright. The color of the mako flowed into her irises, excited. «You.»

If her sight didn't lie, even if clouded by feeling, the unperturbed expression of the soldier before her had given way for an instant.

Again, the girl took a step in his direction. Only one.

«I don't want to waste my time anymore, also because I don't know how much I've left. I could die tomorrow, as far as I know. Anything could happen, actually. And I don't want to take another remorse with me. When I lost my parents, I didn't have a chance to tell them that even though I separated from them abruptly, I still loved them with all my heart. I don't want to make the same mistake again.»

Little by little, a few tears gushed down her face, a few quick drops that she couldn't control.

«Before… before anything happens, I wanted you to know that you mean to me more than I could ever express. Whether you're by my side, or on the other side of the world, this will never change.» she finally managed to sob, overwhelmed by emotions.

She hoped she didn't sound pathetic, or too emotional. She was simply expressing herself: a SOLDIER should've been more aggressive, probably, and not so fragile. What would she look like right in front of him?

Yet, as usual, he didn't even need a word. After all, Sephiroth was not such a talkative person as one who preferred action to words.

He approached her promptly, placing a finger under her chin so that she lifted her face. When Rain did, she found the man's cold eyes staring at her as if wondering what he should've done with her to make her feel more confident.

He brought his left hand to the girl's cheekbone and wiped away the tears that had escaped her. He watched her for a while, repeating in his mind the words she had addressed to him. Failing to find a real answer to provide.

Who had ever spoken to him like this in the past, after all? Although she shared roughly the same origins as Rain, she had had a different life, she had been raised by an adoptive family that had shown her affection and love, but what about him? His childhood had been marked by the sudden departure of the only person who had truly looked at him as a child and not as an object. He had known only orders, and analyses of all kinds. He had no memories that didn't involve intense fighting or frequent visits to laboratories, where he was subjected to various types of checks to verify that he was becoming just what others wanted him to become. He had freed himself from those tortures disguised as everyday life only with growth, because once he became an adult, a warrior, the General of SOLDIER... no one would've dared to look at him from top to bottom, force him to do what he didn't want spontaneously to do. Left alone after all that had happened, now only Rain remained, the only one who was interested in him as a person, and not as a war machine.

The idea that something might really happen to separate them tomorrow frightened him. He didn't really know what fear was, not that of this kind, until he tried it. He couldn't allow her to be took away from him.

«Nothing will happen.» he tried to reassure her, «You know I won't let it happen.»

Rain forced a faint smile, which she gave him before brushing his hand with hers, to lead his to her face and receive an unusual caress.

«No, that's right, you wouldn't. But there are things that are far beyond our control.» she explained, «And we can't predict when or how they'll come about. This is why I want to value every second. We don't know what the future holds. We don't know if this is the last night we spend together.»

That definition let Sephiroth understand many things. In fact, he hadn't thought about what might happen the next day: even if they won the battle, something which he had learned not to doubt as a child, an important factor remained. Rain had explained that they'd most likely parted ways anyway. How could one blame her, on the other hand? The past couldn't be erased.

But she... the way she made him feel was unlike any other emotion he had ever felt, she was the only person he somehow really externalized his feelings to, as if she knocked down a wall on each new discussion. How was he going to part with her? It wasn't going to be easy, not at all. And so... yes, that was really their last night together, most likely.

«It doesn't necessarily have to be.» he still wanted to give himself hope, turning his hand to caress a cheekbone of the girl with his knuckles, delicately. «And you shouldn't think about it. Fear doesn't lead to anything good.»

Which of the two was he referring to, now?

Rain sighed a very short, ironic laugh. «It's hard not to think about it when you're dazed waiting for your fate.»

«Then you should get distracted.»

«Distracted? And how?»

Soon after, Rain fell silent. A small question arose in her mind.

«Someone once asked me "What would you do if you knew today is your last day?"» she told him, «I never knew how to answer before. This question is simple to ask but it is not to answer, yet I'd like to know. What would you like to do if this were your last night?»

Sephiroth watched her eyes for a few seconds. In reality he didn't want to be anywhere else but there, he wanted nothing more than her in his arms and safe. And then...

«There's something I'd like to do, actually.»

His lips parted a little as he allowed himself a brief pause. The caress on her face went down to her chin, barely mentioned.

«... if you want it too.»

Rain didn't seem to understand, so she gave him a confused look and slowly blinked.

He noticed it and couldn't help but let out a little intrigued grin.

«What is it that you want, Rain?» he phrased the question differently.

«I don't care what,» she replied promptly, «I just want to be with you.» she then declared, looking away. Her cheeks vaguely more colorful.

Sephiroth didn't mind that shyness at all, and surely he didn't mind her response, which instead widened his little grin.

«I hoped you'd say that.»

He walked away suddenly, confusing her even more, and started walking towards the door.

«From experience, I never think about the possibility of my death or that of a mission comrade.» he revealed, reaching the entrance, «But your question makes sense. And if this is really my last night...»

His hand reached for the doorknob and, immediately after, closed the door. The bolt was broken, but no one should've returned to the room judging by the time and the fact that the meeting was already over.

«... I want to spend it with you, Rain.» he concluded, turning back to her, who seemed to be trying to speak.

He, however, was quicker and continued further.

«You have forgiven me for the atrocious acts that I've committed. You can also forgive me for my selfishness. Therefore...»

Rainiel's hand was still outstretched towards him, but his left one tightened around her wrist without applying any force. He bent his back, pulled the young woman to him with one arm and closed his eyes. In a brief moment, he leaned his face over her and pressed lips to lips, savoring for the umpteenth time the kiss of the only person he really cared about now, the only one who had seen the man beyond the monster and had brought it to light. A kiss that could've been the last, or the first of many.

That night... he wanted her.

* * *

**Chapter 82**

**ONE BREATH**

It was almost impossible to understand how each new kiss between the two seemed to be the first ever, never to be the same as the previous one and always bringing with it new emotions, strong tornadoes of sensations capable of generating chills and accelerating the heartbeat as during a running.

Rainiel was surprised by that gesture, and for this reason she initially remained rigid and immobile, but when she too was pervaded by that familiar tingling along her back and when she felt her mind become lighter, also aware of having finally pronounced that awaited forgiveness, she finally relaxed and let herself go to something that no longer seemed so wrong.

Sephiroth's hand rested on her wrist, he could feel the warmth of the veins beneath the girl's soft pale skin under his thumb, each rapid beat that somehow reacted to him. He held her tighter, as if she might suddenly escape his touch, as if that night threatened to end too soon. He let his hand rise from her hip to her chest, caressing the features of her thin neck until he brought it behind it, through the reddish hair she now wore loose. They gave off an intoxicating odor, which however he didn't bother to identify, more interested in reopening and closing his mouth against hers, tilting his head and closing his eyelids under the long black lashes, then gently biting her lower lip causing new reactions in her: a shiver ran through her back, her cheeks suddenly colored, her eyes reopened for a moment before she abandoned herself again to that moment and to his arms.

Rain felt her knees lose balance and she leaned more against him, feeling his skin burn as her fingers touched his collarbones covered only by the two oblique straps that crossed his chest.

She didn't know if it was heaven or torture: when she kissed him she felt like she was complete, as if everything else suddenly disappeared, but she could never get enough. Almost instinctively, she gently scratched his skin causing a new grin from him. He didn't seem to mind at all, because his only reaction was to deepen the union of their breaths and their skin, making it more passionate.

Rain thought of risking falling at any moment. That burden of complex emotions and the fact that her mind was now free of any thoughts that didn't concern him and what was going on helped to make her legs feel weak. She moaned with a little, low sound as she pulled her face away for the minimum time it took to catch her breath.

She didn't succeed immediately, however, because her breath was cut off again by the next action of the young man, who lowered himself bringing his arms right behind her legs, at the height of her thighs, to lift her without any problem. Her weight didn't bother him at all, it was nothing compared to what his muscles were capable of. Finally, Rain found herself face to face with him, and tied her ankles around his back, encircling his face with her hands.

The ex-General's eyes focused on her, very close, for the time necessary to admire them. His warm breath tickled Rainiel's skin, and she was lost in that moment as if it could last an eternity.

The more she looked at him, the more she realized how overwhelming that emotion born in her was. One that she couldn't have explained, as she said herself, and that had always proved stronger than she was, unable to stop it. Now, finally, she no longer needed to hold back. She could be honest with Sephiroth and with herself. Without fear of anything. Without saying no to her heart.

She crushed the distance again, still wanting to immerse herself in that dream that she couldn't believe was real.

Sephiroth's arms held her tightly, without trembling or straining. And shortly after his legs moved, but not in the direction of the door. When his hand left the woman's back, she could clearly hear the sound of documents being moved, paperwork getting in the way and then being swept aside with a quick gesture. Some cards even fell to the ground, but neither of them seemed to care. Sephiroth had found them in the villa's laboratory, they were old records that spoke of the experiments conducted there, but he had already read and analyzed them over and over again. Now they no longer mattered, not compared to what was happening right now.

He laid Rain on the table, struggling to detach himself from their umpteenth kiss just to catch his breath, and then brought his fingers under her jacket, tickling her pale skin, at her shoulder level, to pull it off. Part of her custom uniform fell inanimate behind Rainiel, whose face had completely changed color, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

With his hands now resting against the table, Sephiroth unleashed a pleased grin. His lids and long black lashes lowered to his feral eyes that were contemplating her.

«You're blushing like never before.» he pointed out, causing her gaze to shift elsewhere.

Rain was very embarrassed. She feared she had offended him in some way.

«I'm sorry...» was the first thing that she thought to say as her chest rose and fell to the rhythm of vaguely labored breathing.

His long pale fingers rested under her chin and led her to look straight ahead again. The man's lips had returned a step away from her, but his eyes looked directly at her, as if rapt.

«I didn't say I mind it.» he replied in a tone as reassuring as it was vaguely arrogant, especially for what he added then, «Not if that's the effect I do to you.»

Passed by a shiver generated by his low voice blowing against her skin, she welcomed the next kiss but it lasted much less than she expected.

Sephiroth had taken off his shiny black gloves and, as one of his hands slowly lifted the fabric of the girl's white shirt from the hip, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and spotted the strap of one of his uniform's shoulder straps. When she managed to untie it, the piece of armor fell to the ground with a thud but neither of them cared.

Rain would've liked to take off the other too, which prevented her from hugging him as she wished, but yet another thrill caught her unprepared.

The ex-General's lips had left hers and moved along her cheek and then her neck, tracing a trail of kisses on her warm skin and sometimes teasing her with small, harmless bites.

Rainiel tensed, knowing full well what was happening. She hadn't thought about it long, and she was asking that question at that moment. Of course, she didn't want to interrupt him at all. She had been hiding that emotion for too long and she knew what she was doing. She trusted him completely and blindly, she knew that something was born between them and that it wasn't just a night to be forgotten soon. The strength of that bond was tangible in every single touch, in his warm breath, in the way each of her muscles reacted in being touched. Maybe she had never felt so good in her life before. No man had ever given her the same emotions, it was undeniable. And Sephiroth... he certainly wasn't acting like she was just one of many.

She wrapped her hands in his long silver hair before pressing her fingers against his back and letting out a quiet moan that sounded like a small trophy to the man's ears, who pulled her closer to him by the legs and let his hands rise along her body up to her right shoulder of the shirt, moving it to continue what he was doing, with his eyes closed, savoring every second spent squeezing Rain's skin, soft and still perfumed by the shower, between his lips and under his tongue, following the features of the collarbone and filling the small dimple between the shoulder and neck with his face.

Rainiel lifted her head, crossing her legs behind his back with more force and letting her hands return to his chest, warm and uncovered. She grabbed the straps that formed a cross on it and pulled to let their bodies fit together.

Sephiroth blew a curious and amused cough right on her, while he continued to let the shoulder of her white shirt drop, ready to free it from the belt and move it.

Rainiel looked perfect for him. It was as if they were both created just to come together like that, two heartbeats and one breath.

He'd never let anyone take that woman away from him, he'd probably do anything for her by now. He didn't know why, or when it was precisely that he had fallen into that vortex which, however, was his only chance to keep himself away from that darkness that kept trying to swallow him. Without Rain, he would've become a monster. A killer. He'd kill thousands, millions of innocents and never blame himself. He knew this very well, and this made him want to stay close and protect her: he wanted to become a better person for her... he wanted her. At every moment, in every possible way, whether they were near or far, that was the feeling he wanted to feel and to make her feel.

His anchor, the one that managed to give to his tormented mind a little peace from all that noise, from that stormy sea that at times risked drowning him. Because, despite being perhaps the most powerful person in the world, he could do nothing against the demons that dwelt in his head.

He noticed this a few seconds later, unfortunately. After giving her another thrill, yet another in a series she wished could continue, he felt Rain's skin get rougher under his fingers. Surprised but not yet aware of what he'd see, he calmly opened his eyes. And immediately afterwards he felt the greatest remorse he had ever felt strike him like a sudden flash, or an evil that devoured him from within with such rapidity that his mind wavered.

He let out a sound similar to that of a person unable to catch his breath, and Rain noticed it.

«S... Seph...?» she tried to call him, but something else caught her attention. A rush of footsteps outside the room made Rain fear that someone was about to enter.

She could feel the man's body stiffen under her fingers, and she thought it was just because of the noise getting closer.

But Sephiroth's eyes were on a different subject, although he himself had felt the slight disturbance from outside.

So, shortly after, the door swung open and Cloud enthusiastically entered the room. He was visibly better, his hair was no longer dirty with dirt and dust, he was wearing clean clothes and his body was bandaged, his wounds cleaned and on the road to recovery.

«Rainiel! General Sephiroth! I…» he exclaimed, but his tone suddenly dropped.

Once inside, it took him a while to pursue his lips again and let go of the door handle.

«Did I… interrupt something?» he asked him.

Sephiroth was leaning with his back against the table, one leg bent, his gaze low and unperturbed and his arms folded. On the other side of the desk, sitting on a cross-legged chair, was now Rain, who immediately jumped up once she saw the boy, pretending to have been sitting there for a long time.

«Cloud! You finally woke up!» the happiness of seeing him again was fortunately real, and it helped to give a background of reality to their staging. Only a short time later Rain looked away, betraying that show. «No, you haven't interrupted anything... we were just... chatting.»

That was the least convincing tone of voice Sephiroth had ever heard in his life, which is why he glanced incredulously at the girl and, when he noticed the young infantryman's attention shift to him, he raised his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes, leading him to prefer the visual comparison with his friend.

What made Rainiel's words even less truthful was the environment all around and the two of them: wrinkled paperwork on the floor, a SOLDIER shoulder strap and the girl's jacket on the ground, their hair a little too tangled than usual and the still purple hue of her cheekbones.

Cloud was young, but not stupid. However, he decided to continue with his discussion without asking for an explanation. Also because Sephiroth's gaze was terrifying him.

«Huh… Zack told me you'd like to know I'm fine, and he told me about tomorrow's plan. I came here to tell you that I'll come with you!»

He was stunned when the girl, a little shorter than him but a few years older, reached him in a few strides and hugged him affectionately in her arms, as if she were an older sister.

«I'm glad to know you're okay. You made us worry, you know?» she murmured before ruffling his hair a little.

Cloud pulled his lips back, in an embarrassed expression. He was not used to that kind of attention, everyone knew that he had a past as an outcast and lonely boy.

«The wound?» asked the ex-General, who remained in his place.

The boy gasped and hastened to lift the tuft of hair that covered his forehead.

«It's healing, sir.»

«You can call me Sephiroth.» he conceded, «I'm not SOLDIER's General anymore.»

«Yes, sir... Sephiroth.»

Rain let out a chuckle. She knew how the younger felt now that he was so in close contact with his childhood idol. Perhaps he felt the same emotions that the same situation had aroused in her, years before that day.

«You should rest now.» she then suggested to her friend, stepping back to give him more space. «Tomorrow we'll return to Midgar. I don't want you to risk your life for us again, so...»

«Rainiel.» more determined, the young Cloud stiffened and prevented her from continuing. «I want to help you. I'll fight with you.»

Rain couldn't notice Sephiroth's smirk behind her.

«It's dangerous...» she reminded him.

«I don't care. If it's true that Shinra has let such experiments be conducted on innocent people... then Hojo must be stopped. You'll need all the help you can get.»

Rainiel felt proud of him.

«But your dream...»

«Becoming a SOLDIER?» Cloud smiled bitterly, «Maybe it wasn't for me. I promised someone to become one of them... but now I know you don't need to be part of SOLDIER to be a hero.»

With the hands on her hips, the young woman sighed.

«You want to go back to this person as a hero, right?»

Cloud nodded weakly, and his cheeks turned a slight red.

«Then I guess I can't stop you. You have a big heart, Cloud.» she smiled at him. «Now go. You need to recover some energy for tomorrow's mission.»

The blond nodded and prepared to take his leave.

«Goodnight, Rain.» he said before turning to the other man, «... See you tomorrow, Sephiroth.»

The cold-eyed man just raised a hand, silently returning his greeting.

Soon after, Cloud left, closing the door behind him. Leaving them alone again.

And Rain could hear Sephiroth's footsteps, approaching her again.

* * *

**Chapter 83**

**CREATOR AND CREATURE**

The girl sensed the man approaching her, so she swiveled to have him in front of her. She tried to part her lips to say something, but no sound came from her throat.

Sephiroth's hands touched her again and one of them pulled the thin white shirt that covered her from her collar, baring one of her shoulders from her sleeve.

The girl thought that he just wanted to pick up where they left off before they were interrupted, after all he was certainly not the kind of person to hesitate or waste time chatting. Instead, however, she noticed that his eyes were clouded with a dark feeling, a quiet regret, and following his gaze she noticed that they were pointing right at her shoulder, the last thing he had observed before pulling his lips from her skin and walking away from her.

A large scar, a perfect cut: pink and clearly visible, plowed the space above a collarbone. Rain knew she had a similar one on the opposite side, on her back.

Sephiroth closed his eyelids and blew cold air from his nostrils, thoughtful.

Rain understood his worries and backed away, hastily covering the wound with the shirt.

«Sephiroth…» she called his name as softly as possible, «You don't have to worry about it. It's in the past. I forgave you, remember?» she tried to reassure him.

The soldier's arms dropped to his sides, stiff.

«You... have forgiven me.» he replied gravely.

"But I have never forgiven myself" was probably the continuation of that half-finished sentence.

Rainiel took a deep breath.

«It doesn't matter what happened.»

Moving closer to him again, she placed her hands on his arms, looking at him with a smile to convince him.

«What matters is that you've decided not to give in to that darkness. You thought you were alone, different, but now you have all of us. Zack, Cloud and me. We have all forgiven you. And you... you just have to realize that you've made the right decision.»

The long silver-haired man sighed, having to bear that burden that he'd probably always carry with him.

«It's not that easy.» he narrowed his eyes, «I could've killed you. I've come very close. If I hadn't listened to your words, you wouldn't be here now. Making the right choice is not enough to make up for what I've done.»

«This isn't a simple choice!» she grabbed one of his hands, lifted it and squeezed it against her, tapping her foot. «You were confused, angry, your mind was in pieces. I felt like you when I discovered the truth about our past.»

«But you didn't react the same way.»

The man's free hand reached the side of her face, and he pushed a lock of reddish hair behind one ear. «Hate is part of me. I was raised and trained with the sole purpose of becoming an emotionless weapon.» he pursed his lips, looking at her in conflict with himself, «And, while you descend from an alien creature that has come to Gaia to create life, I have in me the cells of Jenova, the calamity of the skies. The one I consider my mother could manipulate my mind, push me to hurt you suddenly.»

«It's a risk I'm willing to take.» she swore boldly, her brow furrowed, «And I know it won't happen again. You're strong enough to resist.»

«I wasn't, before.»

«You are now. And even if you're not, I'll be your strength. I'll help you make peace with yourself as you did with me. I... I want to be with you.»

«Ah, Rain...» Sephiroth's hand covered her cheek, «You're always so naive.» he barely whispered as water-colored eyes explored the features of her soft face, «Trusting me is like challenging death.»

«I'd challenge anyone and anything if necessary.» she retorted, insisting, «Anything, just to help you. I know your life hasn't been easy. Your parents, the experiments, the trainings you were forced to. But I'll be with you for-»

«What?»

Sephiroth's eyelids flew up suddenly.

Rain bowed her head, confused. Had she said something wrong?

He understood, and asked the most direct question that arose in his mind.

«My parents?» he echoed, «What do you know about my parents?»

Rain eased the grip on her hand, trying not to stammer.

«Only what I read in Hojo's diary...» she revealed.

When she noticed Sephiroth taking his gaze away from hers, and just parting his thin lips, her heart sank.

«Oh, by the Goddess...» she realized, astonished, in a low voice, before raising her tone slightly, «You... you don't know?» she asked, putting a hand to her hair as he walked away, with trembling steps. Whenever his past was brought up, he became extremely fragile and vulnerable. At least in front of her.

«I thought you had found out, that you had discovered something in the archives...»

«What is it I should know?» he repeated, a more severe tone but not an angry one. He wasn't getting mad at her, he was just getting ready to receive yet another news that could have upset his life.

The girl was silent. She couldn't find the right words.

«Rain...» he called again, «... do you know who my biological parents are?»

That question was like a dagger ready to pierce his heart. Rain didn't really want to mess up his mind like that, and she thought it'd just hurt him. This time, she had only kept the secret by accident. She'd never make the same mistake again.

«... Yes, I do.» she then replied, finding the necessary courage.

Sephiroth touched the table behind him with his back. He leaned against it, letting his hands hold it once they touched the edges. A breath left his lips as his eyes became dull.

Rain felt a chill shake her, and she understood what she had to do.

«You ... you want to know who they are, right?» she asked, perhaps obvious, «If that's what you want, I'll tell you. I... I was hoping I didn't have to give you this news. I just want to warn you that you won't like the answer.» she announced, her eyes now on the dark floor.

Sephiroth looked down at her. How long would he have to endure it? Were the doubts he had cultivated for a lifetime correct? And would hearing the truth lead him back into darkness and madness again?

No, not anymore. He'd hold back. He'd face everything, like the warrior he was. After all, he was no longer alone. Rain was with him... she always had been.

«Yes...» he then replied, «I want to know.»

He had waited so long for that moment... that now he no longer hoped even for it to arrive. He was convinced that he had to live with that question for the rest of his days. But now the answer had come.

«Then I'll tell you. But first I want you to know that it doesn't matter who you got the blood running through your veins from. You're a different, a better person. You're not a monster.»

Her words were meant to be an incitement, but to the ex-General's ears they sounded like a promise that what she was about to say would've had a catastrophic weight on his conscience. But he was still ready. He was able to handle it now that he was slowly learning to govern his mind and his emotions.

«I'm listening.» he only said.

Rainiel took another deep breath, narrowing her eyes.

«Some time ago, I read Hojo's diary while looking for answers about my past. It happened after we returned from Darefall. That's how I learned about the Jenova Project and the truth about you, Genesis and Angeal.» she began, «And so… I also discovered that, unlike mine, your birth was natural. Human. A mother brought you to life.»

She intertwined her fingers anxiously and continued.

«Her name was Lucrecia Crescent. She was a scientist who worked on the Jenova Project.»

Sephiroth felt that name dig into his flesh, then into his soul. It was his mother's name. A mother who was not Jenova, but who had raised him in her womb and brought him into the world with her own suffering. A mother who most likely listened to his cry, and waited for months to hug the baby she'd call son.

«Lucrecia... Crescent?» he repeated, as if to test the pronunciation of that name that had shaken his bones and mind, that he had been waiting to know all his life. «I don't know this name. What became of her?»

Rainiel shook her head.

«Unfortunately, I don't know. I don't know her either, and I doubt she still works for the science department at Shinra. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but maybe... she could be...»

Sephiroth remembered the words that the scientists had repeated to him ad nauseam, at his every request to know who was his mother, a question he had asked several times as a child. All the other children he knew, that is those he had read about in the books, since he wasn't allowed to leave the labs and meet other people before starting his super-SOLDIER training, had a mother tucking them in their blankets every evening and singing to them to put them to sleep. But at night, in the cold and bare room that Sephiroth had lived in for years, he'd fall asleep in silence and with the knowledge that he must quickly learn to take care of himself.

But when he had asked who and where his mother was, the only name received in response was Jenova's. Jenova, a woman who died immediately after giving birth to him. Now he knew that Jenova wasn't really his mother... but that there was some truth to the rest of the words? That scientist Lucrecia Crescent had really died due to his birth? Had he really killed his mother simply by coming to light? He had learned to live with that guilt which, in the end, hadn't really depended on him. He had tried to imagine the face of that woman whose others, the adults in long white coats who promptly requested a sample of his blood or tied him to some machinery that monitored his vital functions and his growth, didn't want to talk too much about. What did she look like? What color were her eyes, her hair? Sephiroth had never seen another person with silver hair and eyes of that deep teal, the pupil like that of a snake. Maybe his mother was the only one besides him to possess those characteristics? Or was she altogether different? What sound did her voice have? What perfume would her hugs emanate? This he'd never have known. It was a cruel reality, as indeed was the whole world around him. He had always known it, from the moment he had understood what the reason for his birth was. Not to be loved like a son, but to be trained like a soldier. He wasn't like other children, he didn't need a mother's affection. He was stronger, smarter, and his talent made him better than others.

This was how he had been taught. One man in particular had said and repeated that same thing at each meeting, year after year, sculpting his personality as the persevering water of a river against a rock on the shore would've done. That man...

«And your father...»

Rainiel's voice woke him from that reflection. He was so focused on thinking about his mother's identity that he had almost forgotten the existence of a father. Furthermore, he was thinking about a particular person and, for this very reason, he ended up overlapping the two ideas, bringing the vivid face in his mind closer to the concept of father.

The dark hair, the stern face. He had been his tyrant for a long time, at least until he became a war hero and managed to free himself from the clutches of the scientists who kept him perpetually in check. Sephiroth couldn't remember ever seeing him in clothes that didn't include the lab coat and the thick black goggles, the hunched back and the furrowed forehead, as if he had always been old.

Was it really him, his father? Rainiel hadn't yet said his name, but Sephiroth already knew it. He could feel it. It was a doubt of him, a terrible awareness. He'd rather have been told that he was Professor Gast's son, the only one who treated him like a child and not an object, even though he was missing and abandoned him to the rest of the science department when he was still a child. But he knew well that he couldn't be his father... he had such a strong presentiment about it that it ran in his own blood, he could feel it in himself. The answer was already clear.

«He was Lucrecia Crescent's husband. He too is a scientist, principal in charge of the Jenova project... and of the Yoshua project...»

Rain spoke those words with repentance, as if she clearly didn't want to break the news. If she were him, she'd have felt downright dirty knowing that this man, this very man, was her parent.

«... Professor Hojo.» she observed him, watching his eyes carefully as she tortured her hands. She wanted to catch any reaction from him. Even the slightest uncertainty, a very small spark of anger, or whatever.

But Sephiroth's gaze did not meet hers. Those eyes of his that had always been strong and intimidating now looked more tired and sad than ever. It was clear that the ex-General had lifted a weight from his shoulders. The question he had asked himself throughout his life had finally been answered. Relief fought in him with regret, disbelief, and even a certain but contained anger.

Sephiroth hated that man. He hated Professor Hojo, and perhaps he had ways done. He had been afraid of him as a child. The scientist had been the hand that fed him, that offered him knowledge, that guided him. But it had also been the hand that struck him at the first mistake, his tyrant and, in his limited childish fantasy, the closest he could ever imagine to a god. He had to obey him to live a decent life at least. In return he'd become strong and smart, as others expected him to do. And so it had been.

Hojo, however, was a cruel and soulless man. He had hurt many people, not just him, and Rainiel was certainly among these people. He had put a strain on her psyche, without even really intervening in her complicated story. He had even risked killing her just to see his plans of grandeur realized.

For this, Sephiroth hated him more than ever. It wasn't a cold rage like what he was used to feeling and suppressing, more like a burning fire in his chest. A fury barely kept at bay, a strong instinct for revenge.

He had read a book once that reminded him enough of the situation he was in: Wasn't Hojo similar to Dr. Frankenstein, the modern Prometheus? And wasn't he himself a vague reincarnation of his creature, his monster? He knew what the ending of that macabre story was, and if he really was to become the monster everyone expected him to be, he'd do it by destroying his creator. Even if it meant becoming a parricide.

A monster... now he really felt like a monster. It was a fate he couldn't escape from.

«Oh, Sephiroth...»

Rain pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows, feeling a pang in her chest as she saw his melancholy now unveiled, realizing that the legendary SOLDIER wasn't afraid to prove himself for who he really was in front of her.

She reached him with a few quick steps to the front of the table, and hugged him around his back and resting her forehead on his chest, to give him some comfort.

«I can only imagine what you're thinking about now, but please... I beg you ... don't torture yourself about it.» she asked in a broken voice.

After all, which of the two could be called the more unfortunate? She, who had no biological parents and had lost both foster ones? Or him, born to two scientists who had evidently sacrificed their baby for the sake of science, without worrying that he was a human and not a lab rat?

«Maybe I shouldn't have told you, but it was right for you to know. Now I'm here with you, you're not alone in this. I want to be able to heal every wound in your mind, make you feel better than the people who brought you into the world.» she said trying to cheer him up, holding him tightly to her.

Shortly thereafter, she could feel one of his hands return the squeeze resting on her back, and his face finding shelter in her thick reddish hair, calming as he inhaled her good scent.

«Thanks for telling me the truth, Rain.» he murmured simply, in a tone that expressed nothing but quiet gratitude.

Rain was filled with infinite sadness. Perhaps she was the only one to answer his questions, to comfort him, not to keep him in the dark about everything by simply using him to achieve a purpose.

And this he had appreciated, it had finally made him feel human.

«You don't have to fear. None of this will affect tomorrow's mission.» he whispered coldly into the hair, gently stroking her back and then the back of her neck, «Whoever Hojo is, I'll never consider him a father. And, whether he is or not, he'll die tomorrow.» he announced.

A shiver through Rain, who couldn't answer.

Only then did she hear his last words as he addressed her, a whisper a few inches from her ears:

«That is a promise.»


	26. The mission begins / Points of view / The first room / The second room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainiel and her group infiltrate Hojo's lab to end his crazy experiments. In Midgar, however, some very important obstacles await them, be they physical or emotional.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 84: The mission begins  
> • Chapter 85: Points of view  
> • Chapter 86: The first room  
> • Chapter 87: The second room

* * *

**Chapter 84**

**THE MISSION BEGINS**

That night, which should've been the most important and special, passed quickly and in a completely different way from how Sephiroth would've imagined it. What he wanted was to be able to be with Rain, to forget about every problem for at least a few hours, also because he knew that most likely they'd be separated tomorrow, and instead...

Instead, that night, he got another piece of the full picture. He had discovered the identity of his parents.

And now there he was, motionless in the General's uniform, the great and powerful Sephiroth whom everyone believed to be a hero, unbeatable and inflexible, who instead let himself be devoured by his own thoughts. His mind was stronger and more lethal than his sword, and it turned against him.

He was in Midgar. He had reached the city with the others to put an end to that story. To eliminate Professor Hojo once and for all in order to prevent him from claiming more victims. To kill his father.

That would make him a killer, he told himself. Still, he was already a killer, he remembered. How many lives had he taken during the war? Lives of soldiers who died because someone ordered them to fight. Unfortunate soldiers who had met him on their way. The Masamune had drunk their blood relentlessly, and Sephiroth hadn't flinched. He was born for this. He was born to fight and to kill.

He hadn't met Rain yet, not the grown-up Rain he knew now, and for that he had never seen an ambition beyond war. A reason for living. Living... he didn't live, he existed. Not for himself, but for others.

And when he finally understood his true nature, when he saw a chance to break free from the chains he had come to know from birth, everything changed. Everything had become too important to ignore. He had to do what needed to be done to free himself and everyone else. There was no other way to end that story that had lasted too long.

When he found himself at the foot of the Shinra Building, after having reached the large plate without too much difficulty thanks to any knowledge and tricks of all kinds, he looked at the skyscraper without any affection. It could've collapsed in that moment, and he wouldn't have cared. He no longer felt anything. It no longer had anything that interested him inside of it.

Rainiel joined him and touched his arm with one hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her smile at him to give him some hope.

If it weren't for that smile, Sephiroth might've knocked the Shinra Building down with his very hands.

«Let's go. I know an entrance that will make us go unnoticed.» he then ordered.

Rainiel, Cloud and Zack followed him without a word.

The Shinra Building hid more meanders and passages than its sober and professional facade showed. But more than that it actually seemed to be a den of secrets and mysteries, lies on which the Company had put its roots.

One passage in particular, away from prying eyes and probably not used for a long time, allowed them to pass simply using the magnetic keys given to Sephiroth, which he fortunately had with him.

They reached a floor connected to a corridor, from which they could've access to an elevator that clashed with the ultra-modern environment around them, protected by dark and intimidating railings.

The legendary SOLDIER explained that he'd take them directly to Hojo's laboratory.

As he said it, his eyes were clouded with a memory as complex as it was bitter. Rain could instantly understand that probably, even at a younger age, he had had to walk that road and many others to be promptly escorted to the laboratories, where he was kept under close observation.

The very thought of what he had to go through every day of his life, before becoming a war hero, made her sick.

She watched as he used the card on a scanner that would've allowed them to use the elevator, but a disturbing noise caught the attention of all four as the small screen glowed red.

Sephiroth's brows twitched as he realized that something was wrong.

«It doesn't work.» he announced.

«Nevermind. Let's just destroy these bars and go inside.» Zack proposed, his hands already wrapped around the hilt of the heavy sword.

«That's a great idea, if your plan is to raise the alarm and draw a horde of guards on us.» he retorted, giving him an annoyed look.

«Isn't there another way?» Rain asked, trying to be rational and not get overwhelmed by anxiety.

Sephiroth reflected as he brushed his chin and let out a slow sigh.

«Hojo will certainly have some private entrance, but I've never had access to them and I'm not aware of their location. The only possible way remains the main door.» he explained.

After a few seconds of silence, Zack remembered.

«The lab's on the 65th floor. We can take the service elevator and get to the 59th.» he tried to remember.

«The skyview hall?» Cloud remembered, right next to him.

«Exactly. From there we can use the escalators or the elevators. We just have to get past the conference room.»

Rain approached a door that led to the emergency stairs and then to the other elevators. Her head was spinning a little, she didn't think that infiltrating the place that had been her home for years was so complicated.

«Let's go, fhen. If they don't notice us, everything will be fine.»

And so, fortunately, it was. It was late in the evening and many employees had already returned home. As it wasn't a rush hour, the elevators were almost empty and the group took care to wait until they completely were before entering and using them.

Rain felt a deep nostalgia on seeing the panoramic floor. It was there that she had met Sephiroth for the first time since her arrival in Midgar, not too far from the offices, after defeating the Shinra war machine inside the simulator, and where he had entrusted her to Genesis as his student.

She missed those times. It all seemed easier... before many things changed. It was like living under the illusion that everything was fine.

A hologram was waiting to be asked to answer questions from tourists or employees, but they didn't pass by and went on with their mission.

The conference room was closed. A large door led to the offices and meeting rooms, another on one side to the toilets. In front of the large main door, the stairs led to the lower and upper floors.

Rain and the others climbed cautiously, glad they hadn't been caught so far.

They were close to their goal. Tremendously close.

But, arriving first on the floor, Rainiel's eyes widened and her heart sank.

A girl was resting with her back to the wall, a curious black rigid peaked cap on her head and her arms folded, her eyes lost in the void that soon turned to her.

«Rain...?» the young woman asked, while her familiar voice accompanied the movement of a puzzled raised eyebrow. «Just where the heck did you go? We've been looking for you everywhere since yesterday morning...»

Rainiel watched helplessly as the gaze of her Turk friend Vaneja hardened and became suspicious as Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud also appeared behind her.

At that moment, Vaneja realized that something was wrong and her hand went to one of the guns tied to her belt.

Rainiel knew that this unexpected encounter could lead to an unwanted outcome, so she had to choose her words carefully.

* * *

**Chapter 85**

**POINTS OF VIEW**

Vaneja moved away from the wall and backed away hesitantly, her hand ready to draw one of her pistols.

Her eyes took a good look at those of her three friends and finally, right next to them, the cold ones of Sephiroth who understood that her fear was generated by him.

«Sephiroth...» the Turk promptly recognized him, watchful as a cat ready to attack to defend itself.

«Van, wait!» Rain tried to dissuade her, holding up her hands, «I can explain what's going on.» she promised.

«Hojo put me on guard at the lab. He mentioned something about him.» the other girl referred at the super-SOLDIER, «About how he wasn't really missing… and that he was the one who destroyed the scientific archives a month ago. He's never been missing, right? He just fled to prevent Shinra from punishing him.»

In response to her accusations, the man remained silent but narrowed his eyelids. He didn't even move.

Vaneja was terrified. Becoming an enemy of someone like him was not the best of her visions.

«I've been waiting for you to come back to talk to you, Rain. You knew everything, didn't you?» she asked her friend, then averting her gaze.

The reddish-haired SOLDIER clenched her hands and bit her lip for the best words.

«Yes, I did. But you mustn't think I deserted for some evil reason.»

«Deserted, huh? So that's what you did!» Van grabbed the gun, still in the lining.

Sephiroth had no qualms about taking a step forward and grasping the handle of his Masamune. Handled by him, that katana would've been faster and more lethal than any bullet.

Then the Turk pulled out the weapon completely, holding it with both hands and pointing it right at him, her legs and fingers trembling despite her trying not to show that she was scared.

«Don't move or I swear I'll make you regret it!» she warned him.

«You don't seem so sure about it.» Sephiroth then replied in a grave and cold tone.

«Do you think I'll hesitate to pull the trigger?»

The gun shook.

Rain tried to get in the way as much as she could.

«Vaneja, wait!»

«I'm waiting, Rain. I'm waiting to know what the hell is going on and why you all haven't warned me about anything.» she blew disappointed, frightened and angry at the same time, her voice vibrating and breaking before it even rose from her throat. «You've been missing for a week! Your return was expected much earlier, and especially for yesterday morning! I want to know what's happening!»

Rain understood that she no longer trusted them and she felt her heart break. Van was a dear friend of hers. Without her, she'd robably never have had the courage to get so close to Sephiroth. She owed her a lot.

Zack tried to take control of the situation.

«Van, now calm down. We're friends, you know that if we're here there's a valid reason. Lower that weapon and let's talk calmly.»

«I've been ordered to guard the lab. Hojo knew someone dangerous was coming. I didn't know it was you... why the heck are you doing this?»

«Shinra has many secrets and we've learned of some of them.» he explained in response, «For the sake of many innocent people, we must stop Hojo. You have to trust us, Van.»

«I've always trusted you. Too bad it was something one-sided.» Van swallowed loudly, in a cold sweat. «Was it he who convinced you of all this?» she raised her voice.

Rain felt the anguish gripping her. She had to be able to calm her down, or worse would happen.

«Sephiroth is not dangerous, Van. He's on our side. Shinra is the real enemy!» she tried to convince her.

«It wasn't Shinra who started the fire and escaped, though. By the Goddess, Rain... was he the one who reduced you to that condition that time? You were about to die! How can you trust him? What the heck did he do to you?» she began to insist, more nervous.

Sephiroth puffed out his chest in a deep breath that allowed him to stay calm. What he had done continued to haunt him, in his mind and around him too.

Rainiel wanted to avoid this.

«You know some things, but you don't know everything. Please, Van, if you don't trust him then trust me. And Zack, and Cloud...»

Vaneja looked at the youngest of the group.

«Have you lost your mind, too? What about your dream of becoming a SOLDIER?»

«As Zack said, we found out a lot about Shinra and SOLDIER. Not all that glitters is gold.» the blond wisely answered, keeping an expression as composed as possible.

Vaneja looked saddened by all this. She was deeply disappointed.

«You've kept me in the dark about everything. As if I didn't count for anything.»

«It's nothing like that! You mean a lot to us!» Rain started saying, «Cloud didn't know anything either, until a few days ago. I just wanted to protect you from...» she lowered her eyes, «... from all the evil that has been around me since I was born.»

«Evil is right there, by your side.» Van pursed her lips, pointing to Sephiroth. «Move away, Rain. Let me put an end to this.»

Sephiroth tried to move again. He didn't hate that girl, but he wasn't going to let anyone interfere with his mission. Having scruples about what he had already decided was unthinkable. He felt so much hatred towards Hojo that he'd destroy any obstacles that stood between himself and that crazy scientist.

Rainiel, however, stood in front of him, even willing to take a bullet in the chest to protect him from the gun... and her friend from the deadly touch of his sword.

«I can't let you do that.» she sentenced more firmly and with a shivering expression. «You don't know the truth, Van. Maybe you don't want to know it, and I understand you. If I were you I'd do the same. But I ask you to be more rational, and to trust me one last time. For the sake of everyone.» she concluded then, placing her feet firmly on the ground. «Let us pass. And, if you want, once this mission is over, I'll tell you everything. I'll let you understand my point of view.» she swore, «The lives of dozens of people are at stake. Many of which have already died, and still continue to suffer.»

Van watched and recognized her exemplary determination, one capable of astounding Sephiroth himself. Zack and Cloud, behind the girl, were no less. Everyone seemed more convinced than ever of what they were about to do.

And she couldn't face them all. She actually knew it well... she wouldn't be able to defeat just one of them.

«Your point of view...»

A short laugh rose from her chest. Compliant and disappointed.

Her dark eyes met those of whom she had always called a dear friend of hers. Eyes that now she no longer recognized.

«You fell in love with the wrong man, Rainiel.» she murmured, «You know, don't you, that sooner or later he'll be the end of you?» she questioned her.

Rain swayed hard and felt a lump in her throat. She didn't answer.

Behind her, Sephiroth's reaction wasn't felt, but she was sure she could imagine what had gone through his mind.

He was probably of the same opinion. And this made him hate himself.

Maybe it was true. Maybe Rain had really fallen in love with the wrong man. But she didn't care. For him she would've descended into the coldest hell. And she knew she could trust him, more than anyone else would ever understand.

«I know how to choose which risks to run.» she then replied, only this, before repeating what she had already said. «Let us pass.»

Vaneja wasted no more time.

She lowered her pistol, drew out a key given to her for emergencies and opened the door, then she backed away.

«Make way for the heroes.» she commented with poison in her voice, glaring at everyone. She even spread an arm.

Sephiroth's tense muscles relaxed. He wasn't going to use the Masamune against her, who had acknowledged she had no chance of winning.

Rain frowned as her friends moved to enter the lab.

«Thanks, Van.» she said, remaining last, «I'm sorry it had to come to this.»

«You don't know how sorry I am.» retorted the other, «I lost three dear friends today.»

The reddish-haired girl felt pierced by those words.

She had lost her. She knew it well.

«Rain.» called Sephiroth, who was waiting just beyond the door.

It was time to go. There was no time to waste.

She took one last look at Vaneja and tried to silently communicate all her displeasure, but she turned away from her.

So she had to do the same, and get ready to leave the corridor behind her and her friend.

More than ever, she hoped to find her there once the mission was over.

* * *

**Chapter 86**

**THE FIRST ROOM**

Leaving Vaneja behind and ending an important friendship, the group finally set foot inside the laboratory. The doors closed behind them. That was the point of no return.

Rain, Zack, and Cloud kept their heads down. They weren't happy with what they had done. Van had been part of their group for years, had eaten at their table, conversed with them, often went out with them for various occasions or invited them to train with her. They were very fond of her, and she was probably starting to hate them.

«I hope I did the right thing.» Rain sighed, distressed, clenching hands in fists at her sides.

«We did the only thing possible.» Zack answered, placing a hand on her shoulder. «And c'mon... it's Vaneja we're talking about, guys! Do you really think she won't forgive us?»

In a low voice, the raven-haired boy let out a somewhat forced laugh and alternated his gaze from Rain to Cloud.

The latter turned his attention away, clearly saddened and worried.

Rainiel was silent for a few more seconds and meanwhile Sephiroth watched her expression, heavy with the sense of guilt she was feeling. He wanted to reassure her somehow, but he wasn't the best at giving advice like that. If nothing else, he knew what it meant to lose a friend.

«Let's go.» it was Rain who woke everyone up from their reflections, taking a deep breath, «The sooner we put an end to this, the sooner we can go back to Van.»

«Exactly. Staying here won't get anything done.» the ex-General agreed, placing himself at the head of the group. He knew that laboratory better than he wanted. «Be careful. He doesn't have to know we're here.»

If he had noticed, who knows what strange beasts, the fruits of his horrid experiments, he would've turned against them.

The younger ones followed him, Cloud right behind him and Zack followed, as Rainiel came last.

They looked around carefully: the laboratory was a dark and austere place like the scientist who worked there, and despite being a very large environment it gave the feeling that the necessary air continued to be lacking and that one felt suffocated inside. Greenish or pale neutral white lights illuminated display cases and shelves, filled with test tubes and research machinery. Iron tables with wheels had been placed against the walls, and under gray buckles they were gathering materials useful for operations. Further on, wooden crates with red inscriptions engraved on them occupied the remaining space, waiting to be opened.

They passed that initial hall in religious silence, arms in hand to be ready for any emergency. Sephiroth headed for a sliding door which, as expected, opened automatically as soon as he stepped in front of it.

He squeezed his eyelids suspiciously as the first room revealed itself to him: a rectangular corridor, completely clear, except for two parallel rows of vertical glass cells, filled with a green and fluorescent liquid so bright that the silhouettes weren't completely visible and black inside, those of the subjects it kept. That they were right there was a strange and curious fact, and also very worrying.

It was enough that he tightened his fingers around the hilt of his katana ensuring a better grip, to warn the others in his entourage to prepare for probable unpleasant surprises. After all, Hojo was waiting for them.

He took the first step and advanced down the corridor, followed by the other two.

Rainiel was the last. She was about to join them. She paused briefly to look at the surroundings with concern, before accelerating her pace to rejoin her friends. After crossing maybe two meters away, however, she felt a fire rise in her chest. An electric shock went through her, an impulse she couldn't control or reject, a stabbing pain that burned her head and every single limb. She thought she was hit by someone or something because, just as the door behind her sealed, she doubled over and fell to the ground on her knees, letting out a cry that she tried in every way to suppress, holding her head between her hands and squeezing her eyes in acute pain.

The three men in front of her were attracted by her scream and, seeing her on the ground, they realized the bitter truth that put them in total state of alert.

«Rain!» Sephiroth exclaimed, kicking the heel of his boot to the floor to run in her direction and grab her by the shoulders, just before she fell to the ground.

The girl writhed in his arms, moaning and stifling cries of pain. As if something was hurting her from inside.

Zack and Cloud joined her in their turn with the utmost haste, unable to understand what was happening until they heard a croaking voice fill the room, preceded by a high, satisfied laugh. It came from the high, perhaps from an electric speaker.

«Welcome, dear guests. I've been looking forward to your arrival.»

Upon hearing that voice, Sephiroth's eyes became incredibly more like those of a furious albino snake ready to poison the culprit.

«Hojo!» he raised his voice, annoyed by the fact that he felt helpless in the face of the unknown suffering that was afflicting the young woman, and more than ever determined to make him pay, «What have you done to her?! Answer me.» he then ordered.

Zack and Cloud were shocked. They had never seen him so angry, nor had they heard his voice rise to such a loud volume.

«There is no need to fret so much, General.» the professor laughed again, hiding somewhere. «The answer is very simple and lies precisely in our dear Rainiel, at the molecular level. Her cells are Yoshua's cells and, following my theory, it is possible to locate and act on them even from a distance. I looked forward to putting my hypothesis into practice and, of course, they proved correct!» he then gloated.

«Explain yourself, damn it!» Zack growled, holding the Buster sword.

«The room where you are now has become my little personal playground, we could almost define it as the first stage you will face today. I knew you would be able to get into my laboratory, so I thought I'd prepare a surprise.» the old man cleared his throat, «I have sprinkled the corridor with sensors capable of detecting Yoshua's cells in the vicinity and attacking them as would antibodies that eradicate a disease. By adding Rainiel's DNA, then, I was able to make sure that the effect on her was not a simple and slow degradation, but a sensation similar to being burned alive. If you want to save her before her pain leads her to exhaustion, then, you better find a way out quickly... even if my toys will try to prevent it.»

As soon as he finished the sentence, the green liquid capsules on either side of the room opened. The content poured out and, with it, the creatures that immediately awakened. There were more than a dozen, terrifying and threatening. They looked like huge spiders with thin, black legs, but the eight eyes on their face glowed with the color of mako. With shrill cries, they moved limbs and fangs at the intruders.

«I know that, for a group like you, facing this challenge and moving on to the second stage will not be too demanding. Your real enemy... is time. Do me a favor and prevent our young Rainiel from dying, would you? There are still many surprises waiting for you... waiting for all of you.»

With that, the message ended and the speaker fell silent.

Sephiroth observed the creatures surrounding the group and approaching dangerously and then proceeded to analyze Rain, who however was still trembling and suffering like never before, her eyes tightened with the torture she was undergoing.

This made the blood boil in his veins.

He carefully placed the girl on the ground and silently swore to take her to safety. Those monsters, possibly mutated by the Yoshua gene, had no chance against just one of them.

Zack and Cloud flanked him, left and right, creating a safe circle around their friend lying on the ground. And then the battle began.

It was a confused whirling of swords, shrill cries of beasts and dodges at the last second that repeatedly saved the warriors the possibility of being bitten and poisoned by those spider-like beings.

Green liquid flowed across the floor and touched Rain's hand.

The girl began to feel less pain, not because it had lessened in intensity, but because her mind and body were starting to give up. She felt like every part of her body was on fire, unable to escape the invisible hell that was destroying her cell by cell. Her own blood was holding her captive.

As her vision became duller and the noises of the battle became farther away, one of the mutated spiders thought to attack her as the weakest enemy, so it opened its unnatural jaws and quickly moved the eight pointed legs towards her, ready to finish the work that Hojo had begun.

Fortunately, Cloud noticed: the boy jumped behind Rain and lifted her by the arms. This gave her a jolt that brought more pain back to her but which, if nothing else, saved her life, because she was dragged back a few steps.

The monster, not giving up, continued to chase them, even risking to turn against Cloud, who tried to act as a human shield to his reddish-haired friend.

When it came dangerously close, however, the enemy was pierced by a very long blade that stabbed him to the ground tearing a death line, and it continued to move his legs until its life didn't abandon it completely.

Sephiroth was on a rampage, but he was maintaining the calm necessary to complete the mission. His main goal for the moment, however, was to bring Rain to safety.

The girl began to shiver. Maybe she was going crazy. Then she felt his strong arms encircle her back and legs and lift her off the ground holding her in them as if she were nothing more than a child as light as a feather. Cramped, she tried not to move or she'd fall.

Sephiroth carried her to the door that would lead them to the next room. Both this one and the other, behind them, had been sealed to complicate things for them.

Yet one door wouldn't have been enough to stop their advance. Above all, not if Rainiel's life was involved.

Around them, all the enemies lay dead now, confused in that same bright liquid that had housed them like a womb until a few minutes earlier.

Zack didn't like to use the Buster sword except for strictly necessary occasions, as he had been taught by his mentor Angeal. The weapon risked being ruined, but a person's life was far more important than the quality of the thick blade.

He lifted it into the air after pausing at that one way out, and a moment later the sliding metal door was cut, smashed.

Access to the next room had been revealed. And the warriors rushed into it, hoping they had made it in time to avert that danger.

Rain, in Sephiroth's arms, now neither moved nor trembled. She was silent, and she kept her eyes closed. Whether it was a good or a bad sign, her friends still didn't know.

* * *

**Chapter 87**

**THE SECOND ROOM**

«Rain!»

The three boys were bent over their friend, lying on the floor and now motionless, lids drooping over her eyes.

«Is she breathing?!» Zack asked terrified, grasoing the girl's hand and trying to shake her slightly.

Sephiroth immediately went to check and let out a sigh of relief.

«Yes... she's fine.» he blew between his lips in a much calmer voice.

Rainiel seemed to hear it, for soon her sea-colored eyes opened, lashes fluttering over and over as her vision steadied.

The girl tried to move her hands and feet, realizing she could, and sat up very slowly.

«What ... What the hell happened?!»

The attempt to talk was thwarted by Zack who lunged at her to hug her as he exclaimed thanks to the Goddess, so much happy

«Oh...» the girl let out, surprised. As she patted him on the shoulder, she felt the energy flow back into her. It seemed she was regenerating very quickly.

«How do you feel?» Sephiroth asked, the shadow of a smile on his face.

«As if a train had passed on my back.» she commented, still feeling a few twinges in her muscles as the others helped her to get up, «That was close. I didn't think Hojo was capable of going that far…» she took a deep breath.

«The mind of that madman can come to generate ideas you can't even imagine.» commented the ex-General, pouring pure and cold hatred into his words.

«You should go back, Rain.» Cloud suggested, still holding her up, «He could attack us again at any moment, and you...»

«No way!»

Rainiel took two steps forward, freeing herself from their grasp, and she began to move her arms and jump in place. Her body responded well, she could fight.

«See? I'm feeling better already. Now let's go and see where that...»

«My compliments, really.»

Again, the scientist's voice came back. This time it didn't come from a speaker but from above. A mechanical shutter lifted to reveal an observation point with bulletproof glass that overlooked a room. Behind the glass, and behind the black spectacles, Hojo squared them with his cruel eyes.

«Hojo!» she hissed between her teeth as everyone raised their head to look at him.

«Your regenerative capacity is astounding. My calculations were perfect. Yoshua's cells can be transformed into weapon and medicine at the same time... what a wonderful creature...» the elder rubbed his hands, showing a disturbing smile, «My theory... the Reunion... everything's going according to my plans. Oh, you have satisfied me for the umpteenth time. Studying you at such a close distance is priceless. It reminds me of the early years of your life.»

Sephiroth's expression got terribly darker, a detail that Rain caught on the fly. Now that he knew it was his father that was talking, she had no idea what thoughts were going through his head. Probably finding out had only made him hate him even more.

«What is it that you want?» Rain raised her voice, clenching her fists. «You have clearly been preparing all this for a long time... for what purpose?»

«Everything I want is happening in front of my eyes, right here and now. This is the final act of Project Rainiel. It's so close...» his smile narrowed, «... but we still have too many unwanted guests around. It will be good to proceed with a due thinning.»

Again, the door in front of them began to close. It was slow enough, but the room they were in was very large, and as if that weren't enough, the walls on either side of it moved with a mechanical noise. A curious white vapor rose into the air and two large compartments were revealed that contained as many enemies: two huge Shinra war machines, of the latest generation. The same prototype that Rain had faced in the simulator as his last second-class SOLDIER challenge.

«I'll leave you to them for the moment. When you have passed this test too, I will guide you to the next one. Be good... don't disappoint me.»

He finished with a grin and the microphones went blank.

Again, the group gathered together to prepare for battle, but Rain didn't stop there.

She was tired of his games, of those constant experiments. She wasn't a lab rat. None of them were.

As the robots got closer, she passed them and started running at breakneck speed. The door was already half closed. There was no time to waste.

She reached out to it and put a thought in her mind.

In front of her two branches sprang up and rose, which soon grew taller and stronger, and blocked the way to the door which stopped, at least for the moment.

Hojo was still in the observation room, pleased with his hands behind his back, but she wanted to wipe that smirk from his face.

«This way!» she raised her voice, going through the door and leaving the two enemies behind. She knew the others would follow her.

Indeed, just behind her, Sephiroth understood her plan and responded with a half grin, probably silently praising her idea. He swung the Masamume in front of him, mutilating an arm of the enemy who was charging him, and leapt on it as he fell, pushing himself to lunge forward and pass under the door in turn.

The branches created by Rain began to shake. They wouldn't last long.

Cloud noticed the move of the legendary SOLDIER and thought of imitating him, as he had done for a lifetime when he still lived in his hometown, Nibelheim.

He had with him a sword certainly less strong than those wielded by the others, but enough to make one of the two opponents falter, the same one that Sephiroth had attacked. When it pushed him back, almost throwing him off balance, he jumped as fast as a cat on the metal part that covered the tracks and then on its arm with the machine gun, deftly dodging the bullets that tried to hit him. Then jumping on the robot's head, with a somersault he lunged forward and fell back to the ground, crossing the door just before one of the two branches gave way.

Only Zack remained. The boy was immediately charged by one of the two enemies, but with a little more time he'd certainly be able to defeat them both.

He dodged its attack, a red laser that left a black mark on the floor after hitting it, and noticed what his friends were doing, even realizing he was left behind.

He tried to run in the direction of the door, but the other war machine came before him.

Out of breath, the warrior bravely grabbed the Buster sword and started running to attack.

The last remaining branch was wavering, ready to break...

Meanwhile, Rainiel was climbing the stairs that would lead her to where Hojo was. Reaching the floor she kicked open the door to the room, furious, and saw him right in front of her, still looking at the glass waiting for who knows what.

A rush of anger went through her from head to toe and led her to draw one of the Aikuchis, throwing it with force and precision at the scientist to wound him.

Incredibly, though, her weapon swirled through the air and passed through his figure from side to side without affecting it, then thrusting itself into the dark wall on the far side of the room.

Rainiel gasped, incredulous. He had made fun of her once again.

«Rain! You found it?» Cloud asked, arriving with Sephiroth behind him just in time to observe the scene.

The man with the long silver hair gritted his teeth.

«A hologram… should've imagined it. That man is too cowardly to show himself to us like that.»

Rainiel snorted to regain her composure and turned to look at them, then rolled her eyes.

«Where's Zack?» she asked, frightened.

When the others turned to look for him, they found only an empty space.

Rain heard the sound of the last remaining branch crack downstairs and ran to the observation window, just beyond a desk full of buttons and levers.

«Zack!» she called out to her, seeing the boy continue to struggle. He had already destroyed one of the war machines, but he looked very tired. He hadn't been able to reach them in time.

«Dammit!» Rain swore, looking at the counter in front of her for a button that would allow the metal door to open.

When she tried to put her hands on them, however, the buttons were covered with a new hologram that replaced the one of the scientist figure.

«It's all useless. I disabled the buttons. That door will remain sealed.» Hojo's voice explained gloomily, making itself heard in the room.

«You piece of...» Rainiel even bared her teeth, slamming a fist into the button panel in front of her, full of rage. Only then did she notice the hologram her hand had passed: it was a map. A closed path, we could say.

«I really have no words, my dearest Rainiel. Your power... this is the first time I've seen a manifestation of it with my own eyes, even though I knew you were capable of using it. Yoshua's gift... the closest thing to the link the Ancients had with Gaia. We could say... a hybrid... between human, alien and Cetra.»

«Open that door, or I'll use this gift to hurt you very, very much!» Rain threatened him, furious.

«You and Sephiroth are my guests. But just you two. I'm afraid your friends' trip must end here.» replied the scientist.

Rainiel looked up at the glass and heaved a sigh of relief.

Zack had just finished destroying the last of the enemies, that just collapsed to the ground with a thud. The SOLDIER was out of breath and bent over to catch his breath, but shortly after he stood up and raised two fingers in sign of victory.

Sephiroth spotted a microphone nearby, and pressed the button to communicate with him.

«Zack, are you okay?» he asked pragmatically.

«Never been better.» he snorted, «But I think I'm stuck here. The door won't open, right?»

The ex-General shook his head.

«No way. Hojo deactivated the keypad.»

Zack touched his forehead.

«As I thought. Well, a door won't keep me locked up here. You should go ahead, I'll join you as soon as I'm able to free myself.» he proposed, approaching the door.

«Zack...» Rain lowered her head, not at all happy to have to leave him there alone. That door wouldn't open that easily.

«Cheer up!» exclaimed the black-haired boy, with a short laugh, «I'll see you later. Try not to dent that mad scientist too much, I want a slice of glory too!»

A little later he sighed and placed his hands on his hips, looking at his friends through the glass.

«Stand up, Cloud. This mission is far more important than the ones you would've faced as a SOLDIER. I know you can do it.»

The blond forced a smile.

«I'll give it my all.»

«And you, Rain...» then pointed to the girl, «Don't get into trouble all the time. I don't know what I'd do without a stubborn and foolish friend like you.»

The girl crossed her arms.

«And I don't know what I'd do without a big head like you.»

Zack looked at the eldest of the group last and clenched his hands into fists.

«Sephiroth... I entrust them to you.» he hardened his gaze, «Think of it as proof of my trust. A second chance.»

The super-SOLDIER's expression did not change at all.

«You don't have to worry about it.» he reassured him.

«Great.» he concluded, before taking up his sword and approaching the door. Maybe he could get it down.

Hojo's voice came back.

«I am sorry to interrupt your moving speech, but the Reunion must continue. In front of you you will find the map of the route that awaits you.»

Rainiel looked down at the hologram again. It led to a very large, multi-story area that she had never seen before...

«The final stop will be the Drum, a laboratory created for the study of a rather important specimen... oh, but you will see it with your own eyes.» he laughed again, ready to conclude, «I'll wait for you there. My experiment is on its way to the grand finale...»

As soon as his laughter ended, his voice was no longer heard. It was time to proceed, reaching the last goal, the most important.

One that hid a priceless treasure. The very roots of the life of one of them...


	27. The DRUM /Assimilation / Into the dephts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the DRUM, a real playground for Hojo, Rain risks being assimilated by Yoshua. What will happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:
> 
> • Chapter 88: The DRUM  
> • Chapter 89: Assimilation  
> • Chapter 90: Into the dephts

* * *

**Chapter 88**

**THE DRUM**

A series of dark corridors and gloomy rooms separated the group of warriors from the Drum, the final stop of the mission.

Each room had a mechanical door that promptly opened upon their arrival. Clearly Hojo was manipulating everything to his liking.

He did not hurl his other experiments against them, he was already satisfied with the work done, he had even seen Yoshua's gift in action. Now he just had to confirm his theories.

The last door opened and he showed them the Drum. It was a huge laboratory, based on different levels, and just as the name suggested it had a circular plan and each floor was connected to the others by a bridge and stairs, each divided into several parts.

They were at one of the lowest levels, so they cautiously ascended to the highest.

As they passed the closed rooms of the laboratory, inhuman snarls and animal noises rose darkly in the air, echoing in the corridors.

How many creatures... how many you experiments... how much suffering.

Rain used this as a reminder of why she was pursuing this mission. Hojo had to be stopped. And Yoshua destroyed... or he'd have drawn to himself, and therefore to Midgar and the slums, all the mako creatures left in the wild. It was enough for one of them to reach civilization and a massacre would occur. Innocent lives, lost due to the selfishness and madness of a single scientist. Just the thought of it made her shiver.

They reached the top floor and stepped out onto the metal platform surrounded by railings. A bridge extended in front of them, straight into the center of the area, the heart of the Drum.

And at its center... was a gigantic glass cell, shining with a blue and white light, a transparent cylinder tied to dozens and dozens of pipes, cables, machinery...

And within it rested a creature. A pale being with no arms or legs. He looked like a young man with a marble physique and an angelic face, with blue eyes open and pointed in front of him.

Rain felt his eyes pierce her like daggers. As if he was looking right at her.

She sensed something, suddenly. Perhaps suffering, as if she could transfer onto herself the sensations felt by that creature held prisoner for two decades.

The cell seemed suffocating, although inside curious moon-colored flowers and climbing plants crowded it and surrounded the alien.

Rainiel shivered and blew a name into her lips, her voice vibrating.

«Yoshua...»

She spoke the name of the very reason for her existence. The creature she was created from, the only one she had a real blood bond with.

The alien who had attempted to restore life to Gaia, to help the Cetra, to oppose Jenova... now held captive in a laboratory, deprived of his greatness and power. Reduced to a terrifying monster production machine.

«Is... Is it really him?» Cloud swallowed alertly, advancing very slowly.

Sephiroth pursed his lips.

«It would seem so.» he replied, aware that Rainiel was currently confused and speechless.

In her place, he didn't know how he'd react to meeting Jenova. Yet he knew that there was a much more benevolent creature before them.

He looked around, the Masamune still in hand ready to attack at any moment.

«Still, Hojo isn't here.»

«He'll surely be hiding. Who knows what he has in mind to do...» Cloud speculated, before reaching Rain, slightly further on the bridge than them.

«We have to... proceed as planned, right?» he asked, «If that's Yoshua... then we have to destroy him.»

For an instant, that thought terrified Rain.

«Destroy him...?» she repeated those words in a low voice, without taking her eyes off that of the imprisoned creature.

She could really feel it. As if he lived in her body, in her mind. As if they were two parts of a single entity. Just one being.

She remembered the dream she had had on the way to Darefall. She was in a cell like his, unable to move, and Hojo approached her. She had seen Yoshua's face.

She felt her temple, feeling a rush go through her mind.

When he saw her wobble and tighten her lids, Cloud ran to support her as Sephiroth took a step forward.

«Rain, are you okay?!» the younger one exclaimed worriedly.

«I...»

She couldn't speak. Again, she was assailed by the visions that had accompanied her for months.

_The cry of a baby made her eardrums ache. She had the impression that two arms were holding her, lifting her up._

_«Subject Rainiel, production completed. Apparent health: excellent. Adequate body temperature restored, stabilization process finished.» someone said, a voice she didn't know._

_«Give her to me.»_

_She felt herself swing, as if she were on the high seas. They were moving her._

_«Did the project succeed, Professor?»_

_«Oh, it absolutely did. Rainiel...» Her vision was blurred when she opened her eyes, but she could swear she saw a smile, «You are Yoshua's worthy heir, I'm sure. You are the peak of science, the proof that man can go anywhere. How many satisfactions you will give me...»_

«Rainiel?!»

Cloud's voice brought her back to reality like a bucket of cold water on her face.

«I'm fine...» she hastened to say, noting that Sephiroth had also approached.

She could feel a strange pull of attraction pulling her towards the center of the Drum.

Yoshua was calling her.

«Rain.» the silver-haired man addressed her calmly, «Remember what I told you. Nobody will force you to do this. It's up to you to decide.»

It was up to her... she had to decide whether to destroy Yoshua forever or not.

Her head was in total confusion.

«Yoshua...»

She called softly. She felt blood tremble in her veins. She had to make a choice.

«Stay here.» she said to the two who were accompanying her, «I have to do something.»

«Where are you going, Rain?!» Cloud raised his voice, incredulous. «We don't know what he's capable of.»

«He can't do anything." Rain assured him, raising her blue eyes to those of the creature, identical to hers, «Yoshua is trapped. He' suffering.» she revealed.

«Suffering?» the boy asked, «You... can you feel it?»

The girl bit her lip and nodded, once. She let it be known how important the bond that connected her to that creature was.

«What intentions do you have?» Sephiroth asked immediately after, «There's no need to take unnecessary risks.»

«I take risks from the moment I came into the world.» she replied, determined, “«I have to go to him. Stay here, please. I'll be fine.»

Cloud tried to take a step towards her, but Sephiroth's arm blocked his way.

«We will be here, in case of need.» he accepted. «Still, be careful.»

Rainiel smiled at him, albeit faintly. She knew he could understand her. Their situation was the same, their desires the same.

And Rainiel's desire, at the moment, was to reach Yoshua. Find out what he was trying to communicate to her.

Hesitant, she began to cross the bridge slowly. The air around her seemed to tremble, charged with tension. The strength that attracted her to Yoshua was greater with each step.

She swayed again when a vision caught her off guard.

_She felt the cold breath of the autumn wind on her skin. A man dressed in black held her in his arms, and she was huddled against him, in a blanket too small for her. Was it a gift? She didn't remember it. She had always had it with her._

_«You are Mr. and Mrs. Chanstor, I suppose.»_

_«Exactly, sir. And she is...?»_

_«The girl's name is Rainiel, but you are free to call her as you please»_

_Rain slowly opened her eyes, awakening from a troubled sleep. Small houses surrounded her._

_«The adoption has already been established, but I'd like to remind you of the most salient details. First of all, you are not allowed to investigate the origin of the child. You will not receive any information about it and you will be forbidden to ask.»_

_«Agreed...»_

_«Second: My team will come here in Darefall for periodic checks. You will have to provide us with every single piece of information about the child. If it becomes known that you have hidden something, her custody will be revoked from you. All clear?»_

_«We will do whatever is necessary.»_

_«Great. Then it's decided.»_

_«Can we... can we hold her?»_

_«Of course. From now on, Rainiel is your daughter.»_

_She was awakened when the man pulled her away from his chest and delivered her into another person's arms. A woman cradled her and immediately two smiling faces appeared in front of her._

_«Welcome, Rainiel. You're home now.» murmured a voice, «Our little girl... our Rain.»_

She caught her breath. She felt like her lungs were full of water, but she didn't stop. She continued walking, while her friends watched worriedly behind her.

Yoshua was closer. Closer and closer. And he kept calling her.

Another vision tore a moan from her lips.

_«Have you preserved the fragments of the unknown materia, as I told you?»_

_«The materia has crumbled, Professor, but there are no fragments left. It's like... vanished.»_

_«Once again...»_

_An annoyed sigh drew her._

_«Call Subject S here. We'll need some more blood samples. This materia...»_

_«Professor... maybe it has some requirements to take effect.»_

_«Requirements?»_

_«We got it by combining the DNA of the alien Jenova and the alien Yoshua. I think it has to be in direct contact with one of them to have an effect.»_

_«In direct contact… yes, it could work. Bring one of the employees here with an excuse... I want to do another little experiment on Jenova.»_

_«Jenova, professor?»_

_«I think I understand that materia's functioning. Or rather... its double functioning. Yoshua and Jenova are like opposite poles. One creates life, the other brings destruction. This materia... will be the key that will lead us to something greater than what others call magic. The greatest power of science. The ability to make... both of these possibilities come true.»_

Rain raised her head. She could do it.

All those memories... were somehow reconstructing her past. They answered her doubts. Yoshua was showing her the truth.

She reached the central platform. She walked over to the laboratory case, ready to join the creature, to hear what he wanted to tell her.

She reached out to touch the glass with one hand, cautious, attracted like a moth to a lamp...

... and then she suddenly stopped.

Not because she had decided to, but because she was forced to do it.

Two devices floated around her and blocked any possible movement, suddenly.

Rainiel had been captured, but it wasn't Yoshua's doing.

As Cloud and Sephiroth called her name behind her, the scientist's laughter returned to make her tremble. She had fallen into his trap.

* * *

**Chapter 89**

**ASSIMILATION**

Rain tried to move her fingers, arms, feet. She couldn't, no matter how hard she tried. She was still and helpless. Only one moan escaped her lips.

Beyond the clear glass and the brilliant liquid of Yoshua's tub, the girl saw a figure dressed in white move, which soon joined her.

«Here you are, finally. After all these years.» Hojo smiled, folding his hands like a child happy to receive the gift he so desired.

Beyond the bridge that connected the central platform to the entrance platform, Sephiroth and Cloud recognized the enemy and rushed towards him to drive him away and kill him.

«Not so fast, you two.» however, the scientist raised his voice, putting a hand in his pocket.

A hologram wall rose around the floor. When the two touched it, electric shocks forced them to retreat.

«Shit!» Cloud growled, not knowing what to do.

«Stay away from her, Hojo.» threatened Sephiroth, intimidating, forgetting all formalities and trying to keep calm. He glared at his father, letting him guess what the consequences would be if he didn't do as he asked.

«I have stayed away from our dearest Rainiel for nearly two decades. I think it's now time for the long-awaited Reunion to finally arrive.» he replied, however, heedless of the danger.

Rain gritted her teeth harder. She wanted to back away, but she couldn't.

The professor pointed to Yoshua, continuing to observe her.

«Aren't you happy that you've finally found the one we might call your only parent?» he asked, grinning as usual, «You know, he called you here. Exactly as it happened with all the R-Copies inspired by you. It's a factor of your DNA: you can only get close, and stay with each other. What do you think has brought you to Midgar in the first place?»

«Yoshua is not… my parent…» tried to say Rain, already feeling her throat dry, «My parents... are dead. Because of you... and your experiments.»

«Me?» Hojo raised an eyebrow. «My dear, I have absolutely no fault. It was you who caused the Darefall landslide during the fight with R-17, am I right?»

Rain felt her heart skip a beat.

«But there is no need to look to the past. Now we are here, and you have finally proved the correctness of my theory. Only the last, fundamental step is missing.»

He walked over to the glass cell, placing a hand on it.

«The final act of the Reunion. Assimilation.» he announced the grisly title, «It's a fact discovered years ago when you were just a child. When you are in the presence of Yoshua, your cells attract each other until they join. A reverse process to binary splitting, we could say. This can only happen in subjects where Yoshua's gift has already awakened. For example, it doesn't work with R-Copies, but they are still attracted to it. That's why I consider them failures. But you...»

He touched the glass of Yoshua's cell with one hand and pointed to Rain with the other, a smile dyed on his face.

«Now that you have developed your full potential, I am sure that the assimilation will proceed according to plan. You will be absorbed by Yoshua, whose powers will evolve. A perfect being who absorbs his greatest product... he will become unbeatable. We could even draw a new series of super-SOLDIERS from such DNA. Not to mention that my Reunion theory will finally be proven correct.»

Rainiel felt her blood run cold. Absorbed by Yoshua? It was most likely not a metaphor, and consequently it was nothing good. She felt that Yoshua was calling her to him, she sensed his suffering, it almost seemed that he was begging her to rejoin. Was it possible that his was a mask placed to veil his thirst for power? Did he really just want to assimilate her and become stronger? Was he really like his predecessor, Jenova?

Her heart began to pound. She didn't want to die right now, and definitely not like that. She couldn't end up like this.

Sephiroth and Cloud had heard every word of that grisly speech. And they had to hurry.

The first of them felt again that newly learned emotion, fear. He feared with all his heart that Hojo was speaking seriously and, knowing him, he had little doubt about it.

As the younger man continued to hit the dome and be repelled by the blasts, he looked around with the weight of time on his shoulders. He almost thought he heard the furious toll of a clock, or the falling of multiple grains of sand into an hourglass.

"Think, Sephiroth." he repeated to himself, ready to cling to any little detail that could help him save Rain's life, "Think. There must be a solution."

A warrior like him trapped in a cage. The situation was frustrating him more than ever.

Hojo went to a push button panel and operated a mechanism by which the liquid inside of the advanced container was quickly sucked into pipes. Yoshua's hair, floating in the fluid, fell damp over his shoulders. A metal mask covered his face and, once he touched another button, it was pulled away to reveal his entire expression.

«Maintenance liquid drain terminated.» announced the female voice of an artificial intelligence.

«Hojo... stop!» Rain tried to buy time, «You have no way of knowing if this will really work. You could only lose out.» she tried to speak.

The scientist didn't even look at her, positioning himself almost in front of her, his chest turned to the cylindrical cage which, very slowly, opened up to show the large, dripping alien creature with semi-anthropomorphic features.

«Do you think I didn't take that into account? I am a scientist. The best in this world. I've done my calculations. It is impossible for the assimilation not to occur.»

Rain trembled: Yoshua's bluish eyes moved, pointing straight at her. The creature, however, was locked at the shoulders by two mechanical arms and elsewhere on the body by dozens and dozens of pipes and plates. At his feet, throbbed what seemed to be a heart, naked and throbbing.

«No...!» she tried to struggle as the device holding her back pulled her forward. Her feet were now free, and for this she tried to resist, pointing her boots to the ground, but she was dragged inexorably towards Yoshua.

«No! Rain!» Cloud shouted in a panic.

He immediately looked at Sephiroth, who had a frown and hands clenched into fists. Both had tried to destroy the dome, but even the Masamune was not successful.

«Sephiroth, what can we do? I can't even conjure up a materia that hits Hojo!»

The silver-haired man didn't even seem to hear him, immersed in his reflections. It was a matter of seconds: he had to save Rain's life.

She came face to face with the alien who had given her life. She involuntarily walked through the open door of the holding chamber, ending up right in front of that beating heart connected to Yoshua through what looked like a huge aorta that tied to him at chest level.

Visions of all kinds struggled in her mind. That closeness was driving her crazy.

Sephiroth noticed a detail out of the corner of his eye. Not far away, a measurement error of the holographic dome left a single point uncovered, through which he, however, could reach a small flying object that was almost certainly projecting the obstacle onto the floor where they were stuck.

Without second thoughts, he ran to that little corner. Another person wouldn't even notice: it was a tiny crack, but his senses amplified by Jenova's cells and mako gave him superhuman abilities, as he already knew. The struggle against time proceeded. He just hoped to succeed.

He jumped and grabbed with one hand the edge of that small crack. Strong electrical discharges went through his entire body. They were clearly made to keep someone like him at bay, so he was surprised by all that pain, but it didn't take too long to slow them down. In his free hand he generated the Thunder spell from a materia and prepared to repay that effect with interest. He raised his hand, and a lightning struck the projection device. This wavered, but did not break. It was reinforced. And Sephiroth tried again, under Cloud's astonished gaze, who could only imagine how could, that man, withstand such a strong electrical discharge in direct contact.

Rainiel, meanwhile, reached Yoshua. She was stopped a step away from him, white-faced and more frightened than ever. She had never had a particular fear of death, not her own, so that experience was unexpected. This time she was really afraid of not having a chance. Nobody could help her. She couldn't even save herself. Why had she been so naive?

Sephiroth kept an eye on the scene and, through gritted teeth, sent out more lightnings, trying to use his full potential. Those security measures, of course, had been created based on his abilities. Hojo knew everything about him, he had information about every statistic of him, every physical and mental limit. He had been waiting for that opportunity for some time, which is why so much difficulty in carrying out an action apparently so simple for him.

«Project Rainiel. Final stage. Assimilation: process started.»

«No!»

Rain was forced to touch Yoshua. Her arms moved without her consent. Her fingers touched the great beating heart. Yoshua's eyes increased in intensity of color, while his expression remained unchanged.

Then, a white light engulfed both her and the alien creature.

«Sephiroth!» Rain cried instinctively, seeking help.

He didn't stop trying, but realized he had failed. The darkness filled his soul, his mind. The lids lifted noticeably, the rows of black lashes no longer close to each other.

Cloud called the girl's name. In vain. And she couldn't hear him.

_Rainiel was immersed in a white sky. A white coat neither hot nor cold, which had no end._

_She opened her eyes: her irises were more saturated with color than usual. They emitted a faint blue light and the mako veins flowed around her dark pupils._

_She felt nothing. Pain, fear, uncertainty. It was all gone. It took her time to feel the boundaries of her body, moving her fingers and toes._

_She was on the ground, somewhere, wrapped around herself in a fetal position. She had no clothes on, and her reddish hair was smeared on the milky surface on which she stood._

_She got up on her knees, confused, looking first at herself and then at the surroundings. That place had no dimensions. There were no shadows, no heights and no depths. She was all alone and everything was just plain white. Instead of giving her a headache, however, this managed to calm her down._

_«Am I dead?» she asked to no one._

_Her voice echoed into the infinite void in front of her. She would've no answer._

_She took a deep sigh and thought of everything she had left behind her._

_Her life purpose: to save others. Becoming the hero she always dreamed of being. And instead she had brought nothing but destruction, chaos. What would her parents think of her?_

_What about her friends, still alive? Surely Zack wasn't going to get over her loss quickly. They were like siblings, the two of them, and grew up together in that lair of secrets called Shinra. Angeal had made them both adults, able to fight and defend themselves, but always in the name of justice. None of them would ever be able to do anything evil. And for that she was grateful to him._

_Cloud saw in her, perhaps, something like a guide. He longed to be part of SOLDIER and had often asked her how she felt being part of the division. How sad, having had to put an end to his dream with the revelation of such a terrible reality..._

_And then there was Sephiroth. The great, proud, mighty war hero Sephiroth. A warrior angel who seemed to have built impassable walls around him, who never showed the depth of his soul to anyone, who had forgotten what it meant to trust others, or what it meant to love._

_They had discovered it together, after fate had led them along the same path. It was impossible that this wouldn't happen. Their reunion after childhood separation was written in the blood running through their veins._

_He probably wouldn't cry for her. But the pain of losing him would have marked him for life. It'd bring up that hatred that he feared so much. It would've destroyed him, reduced him to fragments impossible to reconcile with each other._

_Dying was a terribly selfish act. Did it have to be like that?_

_She stood up, thinking about them, their faces. She wanted to see them again. Her determination burned in her chest and for this, fortunately, she could feel her heart beating, full of life._

_No, she wasn't dead yet. That place wasn't the afterlife. It was her mind. The board on which she played the most important of games. Where she fought the most significant battle._

_She turned, slowly, and found herself in front of a reflection that she now knew well._

_Yoshua floated in the white nothing, looking at her without a word. He might not even be able to speak, but he knew how to communicate with her. They were one thing now. Just as Hojo had hoped._

_«I won't let you devour me like that.» announced the girl recklessly, striding towards him. «I am Rainiel Chanstor, SOLDIER first-class, pupil of General Sephiroth, hybrid of the races of this planet, whom I intend to defend at all costs.»_

_She brought her feet to the ground and clenched her fists tightly._

_Yoshua watched her, without answering._

_«I know you can hear me.» she retorted. «If you want to fight to kill me, go ahead. Know that I won't let myself go that easily, though.»_

_Suddenly, however, the broad, neutral sky shook softly at the sound of a low, deep voice._

_«I'm not going to devour you, Rainiel.»_

_That sound was peaceful, but incredibly loud. For some reason, the young woman realized that these weren't words traveling through the air to her ears: that voice was inside of her, in her head, addressing her directly._

_She didn't flinch. She wouldn't have run away. She wanted to face fate, once and for all._

_«You are the heir of my gift. You will carry on my desire to create life and protect it.» continued the voice which, unlike what she would've thought, brought serenity and peace with it, «Accept my offer, Rainiel, and become who you are meant to be.»_

_Rainiel watched the big blue eyes pointed at her without moving. She seemed to be looking through the surface of a well of water, quivering and constantly changing. Until on the other side of the mirror there was no more Yoshua, but an image of herself. Rain was waiting._

_She narrowed her eyes, breathing deeply. She had fought her nature more times than she could count. She had called herself a monster, an abomination born of an experiment. But what was she, in reality, if not a woman, a human, ready to give her all for justice?_

_She had to embrace what she was. Together, she'd embrace her dreams too. Everything would become reality._

_She blew the air out. She let go. It was easier than she thought she was. Fighting... wasn't always the answer to everything._

_«I accept.» she whispered._

_An ephemeral sigh on her lips. That naive white light came from her chest again. In her mind, time seemed to begin to flow again. It was as if a wave had swept her away, first rocking her, then giving her a big push to bring her back to reality._

_And she woke up._

* * *

**Chapter 90**

**INTO THE DEPHTS**

The white light was gone. As well as any noise in the Drum.

The holographic barrier around Cloud and Sephiroth had finally collapsed. The super-SOLDIER had landed on the ground, out of breath. The electric shocks had electrocuted him several times, but he didn't fall to the ground. One of his gloves was reduced to a smoldering piece of black leather. His water-colored eyes aimed straight at her. He didn't understand what had happened.

It had never happened that something got out of his control. Having some authority, he always had a chance to change any situation, at least when it came to interacting with others.

But what about with Rainiel? A constant question mark in his life for his certainties, ever since he had seen her for the first time, on that screen connected to the training room set up for the examination of the recruits.

Like that day, Rain was now lying on the ground. She couldn't breathe, she had her eyes closed and an unreadable expression on her face.

Around her had mysteriously grown very tall flowers and tufts of grass. There, on the floor of a laboratory.

More importantly, though... Yoshua was gone.

There wasn't the slightest trace of the great alien tied to those machines that, now, supported the void. Just below them rested the girl, tired and still.

Hojo had contracted his lips, then parted them.

«Impossible!» he raised his voice, stiff as a wall. «All this... is impossible! The Yoshua subject is ...!»

«He's gone.» Cloud completed his sentence, no less shocked than everyone else.

As the scientist put his hands to his hair, Rainiel's black lashes slowly parted.

«Yoshua isn't gone.» calmly announced her voice, a moment before the girl sat up with a tired movement, of one who awakens from a long dream. She put a hand to her chest, under the startled eyes of those present. «He's still here. He is part of me.»

The reddish-haired young SOLDIER smiled, and moments later, on the other side of the large metal bridge, Sephiroth put on a similar, and also proud expression.

Would Rainiel ever stop surprising him? Probably not.

He had no more strength. But he forced himself to get up, slowly, and with the help of Cloud who caught up with him after he nearly fell, now that he was calmer.

Hojo gesticulated, stammering a few words.

«Yoshua should've absorbed you...! My calculations predicted that...»

«The assimilation worked. You weren't wrong about this. It's just that Yoshua had no intention of absorbing me and increasing his power. Not if he was entitled to a life in a cage, in this gloomy laboratory.»

Rain got to her feet, moving her neck to stretch the muscles, and rolling her shoulders back to regain total control of her body. Her bright green-veined blue eyes looked straight at the scientist.

«... And so he transferred his whole body to me.»

She reached out in front of him. She could swear she could feel new energy pouring out of that body that now seemed so different to her.

«He did it to allow me to save lives that you otherwise would've only destroyed.»

Saying the sentence, she clenched her fingers into a fist and, without even needing to speak, she ordered her power to manifest. A rock pierced the ground, rising straight towards the professor, hitting him just under the chin.

With a scream, the man was thrown away and fell meters behind, his back against the suspension bridge.

Rain let the rock sink back into the crumbling soil and advanced, out of the glass cell. Each step she took seemed to shake the air around her. Life energy vibrated on her skin.

As Hojo grunted, Sephiroth narrowed his eyes and realized that Rain, by that time, had finished being his pupil. Her abilities had undergone a superhuman improvement, it was possible to perceive it simply by looking at her movements.

He motioned for Cloud to be ready, and retrieved the Masamune, left on the ground to have both hands free just moments before.

Hojo felt his chin. His face and neck burned like hell and he felt dizzy. He had the clarity to retrieve a small remote control in the pocket of his white coat. Twice as many buttons appeared to him that the ones that little machine normally had, but luckily for him he managed to press the exact ones.

A floating treadmill caught up with him, approaching the bridge, and lunged over it as Rainiel walked silently but intimidating towards him.

«The Reunion has taken place!» laughed the scientist, mad as he was, «This victory is mine. My science has proved correct. Whether Yoshua has assimilated you or not... science has won once again.»

«Science won't save you this time.»

Rain tried to attack him again. She pulled out the Aikuchis and soon their blades shot flames. Nature bowed to the will of Yoshua's heir, the bringer of life.

When she was a breath away from him, however, the metal platform swung away from where she was standing, then descended like an elevator to the lower levels of the Drum.

As if that weren't enough, the bridge shook and a brusque movement nearly knocked the girl off balance. The bridge was collapsing, no doubt due to one of Hojo's emergency systems, and both Yoshua's cell and the floor at the entrance were too far to reach.

Rain's expression only became more determined.

It didn't matter. She'd pursue the enemy, at any cost.

Even as the bridge collapsed and slipped under her feet, she didn't care. A moment before she fell into the void, elastic wooden fibers sprouted from the central platform of the Drum and clung to her waist, guaranteeing her safety. The girl began to lower herself slowly, following the scientist's movements.

Meanwhile, at the entrance, behind her two companions appeared a herd of genetically modified hounds, surely recalled by the enemy, a type of unit used often and willingly as support for the infantry. The creatures growled and showed their fangs, drooling, determined to tear the two unfortunates to pieces.

Sephiroth and Cloud, however, would never let some bark or bite scare them off.

Side by side, the two took a few seconds to clear the obstacles that tried to bite them and jump on them.

When the first horde of those poor attacking beings ended, however, a second one arrived.

A real problem, as Sephiroth was in a hurry. He glanced behind him and could clearly see Rain lower herself towards the base of the Drum, while Hojo wiped the blood from his face with a sleeve of his lab coat. He had to reach them. If he hadn't, Rainiel would certainly have gotten into trouble. He now knew that woman like the back of his hand, and also knew that her stubbornness often played tricks on her.

«Kid.» then he called the young blond a few paces from him, while the hounds took a run. When he found his big blue eyes on him, he thought about rephrasing the sentence. «Cloud... do you think you can eliminate them all by yourself?»

A little uncomfortable - after all he still hadn't gotten used to the idea of fighting for a just cause right next to his idol - Cloud seemed to think about it and then nodded. He understood the situation.

«I can do it. It's not a problem.» he exclaimed, gripping the sword hilt firmly.

Sephiroth let out a half smile.

«I had no doubt. You're a brave guy, Cloud. Whether you're part of SOLDIER or not, this won't change.»

As he walked away to the edge of what has now become a metal precipice, the younger man's eyes inevitably shone with pride for himself.

«Thank you, Sephiroth.» he then replied.

The ex-General glanced at him briefly, over one of his shoulder straps.

«When you're done, go back for Zack. We'll meet again when this war is over. Good luck.»

Again, the infantryman only nodded once. After that the two took different paths.

Sephiroth summoned his one black wing, which unfolded in the air to his right with an elegant movement, after which his feet left the floor of the landing. Without letting his guard down, he descended along the created void and clearly heard the sound of the collapsed bridge crashing to the ground deep in the Drum. That place must've been gigantic. And, of course, it only brought back bad memories. It looked like an evolved version of the laboratories where he had been forced to spend his childhood, to undergo endless mako treatments, tied to machinery by cables and sensors, to watch the syringes fill with his blood at each new "check". Sometimes it seemed to him that those leathery memories of him belonged to another life. And now that he knew that it was his own father who had subjected him to that hell... he could only ask himself other questions, without finding answers, as he was used to doing since he came into the world.

All because of that man, that father who he was now determined to kill. He believed in redemption, he himself had found a way to be forgiven for the evil he had inflicted, but for Hojo there was no hope. That scientist was unable to recognize his mistakes, much less feel guilty for them. He hurt others, all the time, and even Yoshua understood this.

A feeling of determination invaded his chest, a black fire that suggested ideas to quickly reach his goal and tear him to pieces.

He moved as one of his boots hit the ground. The bridge was reduced to a heap of destroyed iron.

Rain waited ahead as his wing faded silently as it was appeared. Then he reached her.

«Where did he go?» he asked, now at her side.

Rain was peering into the semi-darkness in which the place where they had ended was immersed.

«He took refuge up ahead. I guess he's trying to buy some time to recover from the earlier blow.» she explained carefully, swinging the Aikuchis between her fingers, a little nervous.

Sephiroth noticed her brow furrowed, a faint beginning of cold sweat on it.

He put a hand on her shoulder as she still evaded his gaze, not wanting to give him the idea of being very nervous, despite her newly gained energy. This was a crucial moment for both of them.

«Don't be rash, Rain.» he said, after touching her to give her a little comfort, «This story ends here, today. But we don't know what Hojo will come up with to save himself, so keep your eyes open. It won't be a victory if we don't both get out of here safe and sound.»

This time, Rain watched him and forced a grin.

«I look forward to that moment. That's why I fight.»

Shortly thereafter she took a deep breath and moved forward as he pulled his arm away.

«Let's finish this, I don't want to stay here a second longer. This rubble reminds me of Darefall…» she added in a slightly louder voice, then barely murmured the last sentence.

Sephiroth stiffened the fingers of his hand holding the Masamune and advanced with her into the dark and cold place where they had just arrived.

They walked without a word for a few seconds. After all, Hojo couldn't be far. Some distant LEDs showed them the way. It was a huge circular plan, which they weren't even aware of before that day. The little paradise of the mad scientist.

The latter was found further ahead, out of breath, wrinkled shirt and chin still stained with blood. Rain's blow hadn't been a joke, it had dealt serious damage.

The two ex-SOLDIERs stopped a few meters from him.

«Don't try to escape again, Hojo.» Rain exclaimed, looking at him with hatred - she had certainly not forgotten that he had tried to kill her, making her assimilate by Yoshua. «You know it'd be pointless.»

«I can't blame you, dear Rainiel.» he grinned, spreading his arms before bringing one of his hands back to his throat, where the pain was most intense. «I have no intention of running away. I prepared for this scenario, too. Do you think I didn't know that sooner or later my subjects would turn against me? Especially you two, S and R. It was clear that sooner or later you would find out everything, and it was also useful for the Reunion.»

«Stop babbling about this Reunion.» Rain sighed hard. «Listen to me now... I'm willing to forgive anyone.» she then started saying.

Sephiroth found that phrase from her unusual. It was certainly not something they had discussed. He glanced quickly at the girl, who returned his gaze for a single second as if she were apologizing to him. Had she taken the initiative without consulting with the others?

«I've forgiven myself. I've forgiven Sephiroth. I can forgive you too, Professor, but only if you assure me that you'll no longer harm anyone. Do you think you can do this?» she wanted to know.

The General, next to her, didn't seem happy with those words. It was clear that he wanted to end the man's life by himself, tearing it from his body with the blade of his katana. Why should such a being deserve an opportunity for redemption? After all that he had done, according to him, he'd only deserve the hottest of hells.

Hojo, however, shrugged and indulged in a short laugh.

«My dear, unfortunately you cannot understand my point of view. I have never done anything evil. I just sacrificed what I had to in the name of scientific research. And I'd do it again, if I had the chance.» he continued to state.

Rain looked down, perhaps hoping to be able to insist, but Sephiroth waited no longer.

He moved his hand and a Thunder fell within a whisker of Hojo's face, who was only partially hit and lost his balance, falling back to the ground on his back. His glasses practically exploded from the electric discharge, and the black fragments rained down to the ground.

Rain jumped at that sudden blow and looked at her companion for explanation.

Sephiroth's face was more like the one she had seen that fateful day of the fire in the archives. A cold aura dyed his eyes. A grudge that he carried within him for more than twenty years.

«Can't you see it, Rain?» he then addressed, «This being doesn't deserve such an opportunity. He prefers to sink with his vessel of horrors, rather than get out and try to see something beyond that thick curtain of madness.»

Hojo, on the ground, moved slowly. Sephiroth coul've incinerated him on the spot, but he hadn't. That had been a warning shot. Evidently, and unconsciously, he wished to keep him alive a little longer for some reason. This made him smile. He got to his feet once again, dusting the white coat with his hands and putting his hands in the pockets.

«He is not entirely wrong. The only difference is that if this vessel is destined to sink, it will sink completely. And by that I mean... including you two. Remember that no matter how hard you try not to believe it, you will always remain my products. My best specimens. I have always lived and I will live forever, through you.»

Before the two could even process his words, the scientist took his hands out of his pockets. In one he held his trusty remote ready to operate any machinery he had designed, in the other a curious syringe filled with what looked like mako, but which had slightly different tones.

Sensing the danger, the two young warriors tried to stop him, but all movement was prevented. One of Hojo's devices had been called, for the second time, to block them. Of course it wouldn't have helped forever, given the extraordinary strength of both of them. It was just a way to buy time.

Hojo raised the syringe and rubbed his temple with a sigh.

«I guess I have no other choice. I don't like to try my experiments on myself, using test subjects is much easier. If something bad happens to me, all the knowledge that is inside of here would be lost.» he tapped his head, before bringing the needle to his arm. «This time I'm not in a position to choose, but I have faith in my expectations.»

«What the heck is that stuff?!» Rain raised her voice, regretting offering him a second chance, gritting her teeth and trying to free herself from the invisible grip of the deal that was holding her back.

«A question to which I gladly answer. This, dear ones, is a special concoction that carries within it the cells of Yoshua, Jenova and just the right amount of mako. I've been keeping it for a long time, but lately I've wanted to make some changes. I guess you don't know what happens when your blood comes into contact, do you?» he asked them but did not wait for an answer, «Yoshua and Jenova have their respective abilities to save and destroy. Imagine a definitive being, able to balance and exploit these factors.»

Before he even finished speaking, he pulled up a sleeve and brought the needle to his shoulder. Its small tip pierced his skin and, with a finger, the scientist pressed in such a way that the fluid was slowly injected into him.

«No!!!» Rain yelled, understanding what awaited them.

Sephiroth watched in silence, trying to concentrate his forces to free himself.

Hojo took a slower breath and stretched out his arm, throwing the needle away behind him.

«I thought I'd use it on one of you someday so that the equivalent part of Yoshua or Jenova would automatically blend into the mixture. I guess I don't have such a chance, so I'll have to settle for a bit more raw result. If nothing else, though, it will prove to me that it works. There is no hypothesis that can be said to be correct until it is successfully tested.»

His arm inevitably began to change. It almost felt like his bones were moving, or maybe they really were. Hojo's grimace twisted into one of pain as the effect began to show. He was changing. Just as he had hoped. Now he too carried the cells of Yoshua and Jenova within him.

His science was about to reach the final stage, the most dangerous, there in the depths of the Drum.


	28. Ultimate Hojo / Together / The War is Over / The Price of Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainiel and Sephiroth do their best to end Hojo's cruelties. Who will win? And, when the conflict is over, what will the consequences be?  
> Between sword swings, magical attacks and important sacrifices, the concluding act of Project Rainiel opens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:  
> • Chapter 91: Ultimate Hojo  
> • Chapter 92: Together  
> • Chapter 93: The war is over  
> • Chapter 94: The price of freedom
> 
> Thank you all so much for all the comments and the 1000+ hits on the story! I'm really really happy you're liking it!  
> I also wanted to advise anyone interested to listen to the song "Why" (Crisis Core's OST) if you like while reading the last chapter of this part. I listened to it while I was writing and I think it can give the right tone to the chapter! I wish you a good read and a good day or good night!

* * *

**Chapter 91**

**ULTIMATE HOJO**

Hojo stretched out both arms. His knuckles moved inhumanly as his fingers twisted and limbs stretched beyond any normal threshold. His little black eyes were crossed by a greenish flash and, beneath his smock, his body was soon radiated by that same discharge. It was possible, for a moment, to observe the outline of his dark heart beating under the white fabric and flesh.

Sephiroth watched as his father turned, through and through, into a monster. He felt no compassion for him. Why would he have to? Even if it was he who brought him into the world, even if the blood of that scientist flowed in him, he had never done anything that could lead him to appreciate the figure of him as a parent. He felt nothing but disgust towards that deviant being that had given him and Rain only suffering.

Both were still stuck due to the metal device but, this time, it wasn't enough to keep them in a cage. Sephiroth was stronger than a common iron mass and for this, once he applied the right amount of force, he freed himself from the magnetic field and grabbed the little flying robot that kept them imprisoned, crushing it first between his fingers and then knocking it to the ground, where he finished it with one of the boots. He didn't waste any more time and reached Rainiel too, destroying the last mechanism with a katana blow, grasping the girl's hand and starting to run in the opposite direction of Hojo, who was slowly transforming as his coat tore and fell to earth in shreds.

Rain didn't object to his idea, but continued to look behind her, scared.

«What the hell has he done?» she asked between breaths, gasping.

«I don't know exactly, but he sure did inject himself with Yoshua and Jenova's alien DNA.» the man replied, determined to go back upstairs to organize an attack once the situation was studied, rather than risk it.

«Wait!» she stopped him, however, pointing the heels of her shoes to the ground.

Sephiroth braked quickly but didn't let go of her arm, looking at her with concern.

«Rain, staying here isn't safe. We don't know what he's capable of, and I don't want to take unnecessary risks.»

«But this way he'll only get stronger!» Rain watched with her eyes wide open as the old scientist tugged at his hair as his vertebrae became more visible on his back, now free from his coat, and screamed in a voice that was no longer his own, but a low and monstrous one, similar to that of the R-Copies.

«Let me at least try to stop him before it's too late.» she asked then, pursing her lips and looking at the warrior beside her.

Sephiroth's eyes became two small slits. Strange but true, he felt uncertainty. He didn't doubt Rain's abilities, but they didn't even know their enemy. Maybe the girl was right, maybe not. Either way, he knew he wasn't going to change her mind that quickly.

The girl waited no longer than that brief silence. Silent as a shadow, she freed herself from the grip on her wrist and ran away, returning closer to Hojo.

The super-SOLDIER stretched an arm forward, as if he could stop her, but didn't breathe, gritting his teeth.

Rain stopped at a safe distance from the man who, slowly, was growing taller than ever. His bones were protruding, his hair had stretched to cover his back, as had his teeth which were now sharper than normal. His skin was taking on a darker, grayish or dark green tint.

The sight terrified the young SOLDIER, whose legs trembled for a moment.

«Come on...» she told herself, taking a deep breath. She had promised herself that it'd all end there that day.

She spread her arms out and slowly lifted them, calling on her concentration to use Yoshua's gift. She closed her eyes and felt the energy of the assimilated creature flow through her.

Within seconds, dark wood branches pierced the floor and grew, first forming a small enclosure around the man, then growing higher and higher, until they took the form of a wall, and later a dome. The wooden prison completely covered the mutated scientist and put him in a cage.

Rain opened her eyes and felt her chest vibrate. Had she succeeded in her intent?

Unconvinced, she conjured fireballs in the palms of her hands and threw them at the wooden prison, and the flames spread across its surface, illuminating the Drum with a glowing red light.

Finally, the girl breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Sephiroth.

He, like her, wasn't yet sure of their victory, so he began to approach with caution. He didn't like the fact that his companion was so close to the enemy.

Just before she Rain could give him some hope with a smile, though, the cage behind her exploded, attracting the attention of both of them again.

Pieces of burned or still burning wood rained down from the sky, bringing sparks everywhere. A dark arm broke through the dome, rising straight up. A guttural cry shook the walls of the laboratory and even the air around it. The walls of the prison built by Rain were hastily torn down and, in an instant, the ultimate creature emerged from his macabre cocoon.

Hojo was unrecognizable: in his place, now, there was only a monster with gaunt, dark face and body, his back covered with long black hair which, at the ends, seemed to have transformed into funereal raven feathers. The beast was very tall, taller than the common mako monsters he had created as a human, and his left eye glowed with an intense pink light. His pupils were those of a feline, and the creature's teeth scratched thin lips.

Rain had never felt so afraid of an enemy before. She blanched suddenly, clenching her fists, and her first reflex wasn't even to grab the Aikuchis she had tied to her belt, but to turn around and run as fast as she could. That was until the monster's pink eye brought her into sharp focus.

Sephiroth knew the girl was in danger. He felt a terrible sensation and, even without second thoughts, he sprinted towards her to help her. Unfortunately, however, he was too far away. Not even the Masamune could protect her this time.

The monster reached her with a few quick strides. One of his hands, equipped with big, long claws, grabbed her from the torso to her ankles, and lifted her into the air, starting to press on her.

Rain was unable to breathe very soon. She moved her feet and tried to do the same with her arms, but she was immobilized.

A claw from the mutated creature sank into her leg, and this time the girl screamed.

«Rain!!!» Sephiroth raised his voice, trying to run faster. He took an inhuman leap to reach the scientist's arm and smashed the Masamune's blade into his skin.

Incredibly, he felt the steel vibrate in his hands and noticed that the blow had just dug into the beast's flesh, without causing an extremely serious cut. He couldn't believe his eyes... the Masamune was made especially for him, to match his extraordinary strength. Normally, he would've been able to perfectly cut strong materials such as rock or metal without any difficulty. This showed how strong and resilient had just become Hojo.

Sephiroth returned to the ground, pondering how to prepare for the next attack, but narrowed his eyes when he noticed the monster grin as he watched the long wound slowly heal.

"Yoshua's DNA must have allowed him an incredible regeneration speed..." he realized, understanding the criticality of the situation.

Meanwhile, Rain, who couldn't move, recalled her powers again and let barbed branches wrap around the monster's hands, getting stuck in his skin. Some of those thorns, inevitably, also hurt the girl, that didn't find another way to get rid of him, but fortunately this caused Hojo to undo his hold. Rain fell from her hand, dazed and out of breath.

Fortunately, Sephiroth prevented her from crashing to the ground by catching her just before she could reach the floor.

In that same instant the monster roared furiously and tried to crush them with his foot, but the man brought them both to safety by dodging just in time and reaching a temporarily safe place.

Here he brushed a tuft of hair from the girl's forehead and leaned over her, trying to help her up.

«Rain! Are you okay?»

She parted her lids, coughing.

«Yes... although...» she replied, but looking down she noticed that her leg had been seriously injured.

Sephiroth reached out for her and soon a soft green light shone around the cut in her skin. The wound healed, at least partially, enough for her to move.

Rain forced a smirk.

«Thank you.» she muttered, getting to her feet with a little help. She drew her Aikuchis and quickly raised her eyes to the monster.

«Watch out!» she then exclaimed, erecting a stone wall behind the man.

The creature had tried to strike both of them with its claws, and the rock served to capture his limb, holding it steady for a while.

Before he could free himself, Sephiroth thought it best to inflict at least some damage on him, freezing the monster's hand and wounding it with an ice spell. Soon after, he instinctively raised an arm to cover and protect Rain, but also to warn her to stay back. He wasn't sure of the effects of the glacial magic, and his doubts proved to be well founded.

The ice on Hojo's hand began to melt rapidly as, inside his fisted palm, a yellow light shone brighter and brighter.

«Careful!» the ex-General exclaimed, pulling Rain away with him a moment before the creature's palm spewed hot flames that could've incinerated both of them.

Rainiel recalled that the first R-Copy they faced had similar power, and that she had been in trouble during their fight as a result. Evidently he had inherited some small light of Yoshua's gift himself, thanks to the injection of DNA.

Soon the stone wall also gave way and the battle returned to see the monster ahead. Staying there was dangerous, but by now the exit was too far for both of them to run away without a suitable diversion to keep the enemy occupied. So Sephiroth tried to create the adequate distraction.

He paused just long enough to reach out a hand and cast a thunder spell directly on the monster. This bent for a moment, emitting a mournful moan, and the super-SOLDIER acted immediately after.

With his arm he encircled Rain's waist and pulled her to him. In a moment behind him the great black wing appeared, which without waiting any longer began to shake in the air, to fly both of them as far as possible from there.

Rain clung to him and tried not to pay attention to the feel of the ground vanishing under her feet.

Soon, however, Hojo got up and slapped his palms uncontrollably. The rosy glow of his feral eye returned to be on them. The wounds inflicted by the thunder healed quickly on his skin, leaving only stains from the burns.

With another deep sound, the monster took a run towards them.

Sephiroth gritted his teeth again and tried to take them both further, but the creature was as fast as he was. He passed the Masamune in his right hand and swirled it in the air waiting to defend himself, while Rain tried to repair both of them by creating a wooden wall that soon rose trying to cover the space in front of them. It only reached their height by a miracle, and it was in vain.

The monster's claws ripped through that created defense with desperate speed, and deflected the katana that was aiming at them. He hit them both with a single attack, giving them the impression of being blown away by a strong gust of wind.

The two inevitably fell to the ground. Rain couldn't even transform the metal of the ground into a softer element, which cushioned the fall. The girl tried to land on her own legs, but she slipped to the ground anyway as one of them started to hurt and bleed again. Her chest too, just below her collarbones, had now been hurt by the monster's claws. Her whole body burned with pain.

Sephiroth was able to slow down his descent thanks to the only wing he was equipped with. With it he struck nowhere and gave himself a slight push to straighten up in midair, grabbing the Masamune firmly and lashing the space ahead. The blade produced an aerial slash aimed at the creature's legs. A great deal of force had been used in it, so this time the blow managed to cause some more serious damage, so much so that Hojo fell to his knees.

After that, Sephiroth felt weaker and was unable to avoid falling. He landed on one foot, but his body couldn't hold its weight, so he dropped to his knees and then slumped to the floor, lifting himself up on his elbows to catch his breath. Silver hair covered his forehead, masking his bright, angry eyes, which he raised as soon as he was able to move again.

All around him he saw nothing but destruction. The flames blazing, the ground destroyed. The debris, the rubble of the collapsed bridge, inanimate pieces of wood resting on the ground. Black feathers slowly descending from above.

For a moment he felt like he was in the science archives again, when he had given vent to his madness. There was a big difference, however, between that episode and what he was experiencing now: this time it wasn't he who caused the chaos. On the contrary, he was a victim of it. Just like Rain was.

Rain... he had to get back to her. The girl must've been badly injured after falling from that height. And the monster was about to return to attack.

* * *

**Chapter 92**

**TOGETHER**

Sephiroth's weary eyes explored the surroundings. His sight was no longer what it had been before: it was instead opaque, confused, and the monster's noises reached his ears as if muffled. But he had to resist. He wasn't used to being hurt, to feeling physical pain or fatigue up to that point, as battles usually turned in his favor, but he still had to give his all if he wanted to survive. If he wanted to protect Rainiel.

He found the girl a few meters away. She was on the ground, her knees brought to her chest. Her arms trembled and blood dripped from her chest. She was coughing, probably the smoke that slowly filled the Drum as the fire spread was not helping her breathe properly.

Hojo, meanwhile, was still on the ground. Sephiroth had managed to wound him at the height of his skinny and dark ankles, so he couldn't reach them.

The young man took advantage of this to get back on his feet and walk towards his partner, to be able at least to heal her and bring her to safety. He had to be able to do at least that.

Rainiel looked up from the ground after opening her eyes. Even just breathing was hard work at the time. She knew she couldn't get up, but she at least tried to turn towards the ceiling. She succeeded, but she noticed how far it was. Too much to really escape before the monster regenerated and returned to the attack. Too much for Zack and Cloud to reach out and help them. They were alone. And in great danger.

This was demonstrated by the fact that soon, upon her, the girl no longer saw only the upper floor vanishing into the half-light, barely illuminated by the lights of the fire, but also the luminous spheres that formed from the void, right on her. They were on fire, and they got closer and closer. Hojo was raining spells on her, who couldn't even move.

The spheres doubled, and continued to multiply. A lot of flaming arrows were about to hit her and kill her. Rain tried to move, or react in any way, but she couldn't. She felt helpless, and then she narrowed her eyes.

She heard a noise, and through her lowered lids she noticed a shadow obscuring the many glittering lights. Not one of them touched her. But those attacks still achieved their purpose. There were too many to be deflected with one attack, too many to even dodge. And so, they struck.

Rain opened her eyes and saw Sephiroth upon her. The man was shielding her with his own body. He had opened the great angelic wing over their heads, and it was now receiving, as well as his back, most of the damage from those spells.

The girl felt her heart skip a beat.

«Seph...» she tried to say, incredulous, but her breath was not on her side. She thought her lungs were completely deflated.

Her companion didn't speak. His hands pressed against the floor on either side of Rain's head, as did his legs with the youngest's feet. Sephiroth was much taller and more robust than her, so he covered her entirely. He was defending her. At the cost of life.

Rainiel inevitably felt her eyes pinch. A loved one, someone she loved, was suffering because of her. Again. In this case, to keep her safe. She hadn't felt such guilt since the day of the Darefall accident and the aftermath of that tragedy, which had taken both parents away from her. She couldn't risk someone taking him away too. She now had nothing left in her life, if not Sephiroth and her friends. That's why she wanted to protect them too.

«Sephiroth... no...» she managed to say then, feeling the flame of determination return to burn in her.

Even though she felt weak and her pain kept her anchored to the ground, she moved her fingers biting her lip and soon she created a new wall of rock, which defended Sephiroth from some attack. The fireballs kept falling and Hojo, in the distance, in his terrifying monster form, grinned already savoring the victory.

The wall was destroyed several times but Rain continued to conjure up new ones, determined not to give up. Not this time. She wouldn't lose Sephiroth too.

The man on top of her, surprised, folded his lips into a faint smile. From them, as well as from his shoulders and from the wing which was losing many feathers, trickles of blood poured out and soaked the floor around them.

As the wall collapsed, some of the fire arrows hit his back or wing, injuring him, but he didn't complain for a moment. Even though he couldn't move. Even though he was risking it all, right there, and just for her. But how long would he resist?

As strong and resilient as he was, he too had his limits, and his body couldn't take so much damage.

That's why Rain realized that now it was her turn to protect him. When the last wall above him was also destroyed, and she felt the renewed energy in her became more and more feeble, she was finally able to move her arms. With one of them she pulled Sephiroth to her, protecting him one last time, and moved the other hand toward the mutated scientist.

At that moment a veritable wall of rock grew to become a string of pointed spears, which like a jagged trap hurled themselves towards the beast. They pierced him in the arms, some in his belly too, and others in the already wounded legs.

Hojo screamed again, increasingly furious and aggressive at the injected fluid, and tried to free himself. The spears collapsed one after the other, but they were at least successful in stopping his continual magical attacks.

Sephiroth gave in for a moment, ending up resting his head on Rain's shoulder, who winced in fear that he might have lost consciousness and forced herself to sit up, pulling him up too thanks to the strength of her arms.

The man's back vibrated from a cough. A small pool of blood formed on the ground. His wing rested inanimate on the ground, showing all the weariness of his body.

She took his face in her hands, lifting it as he slowly recovered and shifted his weight to his lap.

«Sephiroth! By the Goddess... you are seriously injured!» she exclaimed in a high pitched, still partly breathless.

She wanted to scold him for the foolish idea he had had, tell him that he should think about saving himself instead of her. At the same time, however, she wanted to thank him with all of her heart, but it wasn't the right time.

His fingers gripped the ground, clearly rejecting the sensation of pain. The battle wasn't over yet.

«It's nothing. I can still fight. Are you all right?» he asked her right after, watching her lift her face.

He kept one eye closed, he breathed hard and slowly, and his chin and forehead were stained with blood.

Rain remembered that response from him, already received on the journey to Darefall. Sephiroth greatly diminished his physical condition and continued to care more for her than for himself.

She helped him in turn to get up, and they both succeeded with no small difficulty.

«I'll be better when we defeat that monster...» she blew in one breath, already tired.

The two exchanged a knowing look. They had to fight together, winning or losing, but always together. Only in this way would they obtain the freedom they had longed for all their lives.

«Let's put an end to this.» murmured the one-winged angel.

Rain just nodded.

The two separated, placing themselves on the same horizontal line, facing the beast intent on freeing itself.

Sephiroth brought the Masamune over his head, wielding it with his left hand, holding the other under the hilt to balance himself and prepare to change his stance for any counterattack.

Rain prepared as well: she extracted her short swords, made them rotate between the fingers before grasping them firmly and crossing her arms in front of her chest, creating a large pincer ready to hurt any obstacle she could find in her path.

Another of the stone spears collapsed, smashing to the ground. The flames all around sparkled and rose, like a desperate song or a wall that became their arena. The stage of that final confrontation.

The determined eyes of the two warriors shone in the light of the fire, just before the last act of that spectacle, of that war, began.

Quick as two bolts, the two SOLDIER sprinted forward, weapons in hand, and avoided the falling rubble, using them from time to time as steps or launching platforms to climb higher, in order to get to face the height of their macabre enemy.

They each attacked a shoulder, injuring them with a clean cut from top to bottom. They returned to the ground, quickly swapped places as the monster lunged forward to hit them, with a roar, and attacked the flanks as well.

The opponent's wounds healed with deadly speed, so their attacks became more and more rapid and desperate with the passage of time, even if that sequence lasted a few seconds.

With its claws, the monster tried to injure Sephiroth, which this time only took a wing blow to soar and dodge the attack.

As he headed back to the creature's shoulder, Rain used Hojo's low hand to leap on it and start running at full speed up his arm, until she was back on the other shoulder again.

At this point, the two carried out the second attack, in the same spot already wounded.

The scientist, this time, felt the intense pain, having not been able to completely regenerate, and raised his arms to crush both right against his neck.

The couple, however, was quicker: the two jumped down, landed side by side, moved at a safe distance and got ready, this time, to a more different attack.

Sephiroth raised the sword in front of him, until the steel blade of the Masamune covered half of his face to Hojo, and he brought it down hard to the floor, piercing it. A flash of green light ran through the ground like a fault until it reached the enemy, who suffered the damage from the distance ex-General's technique.

Meanwhile, Rain prepared a Bioga spell, a large sphere that'd poison the enemy, and threw it right at him.

Hojo fell to his knees, putting his hands around his neck and howling in pain. His eyes were wide open, his skin sweaty and bruised. By losing energy, the healing process was slowing down. It was the best time to wrap up the materia.

Sephiroth made his way towards him with such speed that it looked as if he had teleported, again raising the long katana to attack the opponent in the chest.

This, however, reacted despite the dark and greenish blood continuing to flow out of his wounds, and tried to hit him with a limb, around which claws, in addition, burned again the flame of the incendiary spheres that had rained on him shortly before. .

The man was about to dodge, but found himself trapped by the other hand, which blocked his way. Even flying, in a similar scenario, wasn't possible, without considering that doing it, given the deep wounds of the wing, only made him tired and worsened his conditions.

Rainiel didn't think twice and threw herself in front of him, this time determined to be the one to protect him at any cost. She stabbed the enemy's palm with both swords but, unfortunately, this didn't block the attack.

One claw pierced her side, the other smeared one of her thighs, yet another did the same to the right side of her chest. The impact, then, was terribly abrupt. Rain was sure she had broken at least a few ribs, given the feeling that she felt, as if she had crashed into a concrete wall.

She was thrown into the air, and barely managed to keep her grip on the Aikuchis but, inexorably, she hit her back against the rubble and fell to the ground meters away.

«No!» Sephiroth exclaimed, louder, cursing the monster who unfortunately was his father. He felt his anger grow more and more, beyond any limits of calm or patience he thought he had. Nothing in his life had ever led him to feel such hatred, not even the discovery of his origins, of his true nature.

What he felt for his Rainiel led him to burn with a hatred so cold and intense that it had no depth, the idea that she had just been brutally hurt and endangered was unbearable. He would've preferred to take tha damage on himself rather than see it inflicted on her.

He thought about reaching her, checking her condition, but he knew that Hojo wouldn't let him, not now that he was no longer stuck, and even if he succeeded he'd only risk bringing his attention back to her and, therefore, of make her an easy target.

Her struggle was over. She had fought well, with all the determination and courage she was capable of, with all the love she kept in her heart and the desire for freedom that she had nurtured since she was a child. She had given vent to all her pain.

Now, Sephiroth had to win that war for her. He owed her that.

He backed away, taking himself to a safer place to work out a plan, but this time it was dictated only by rapid instinctive thoughts and his growing emotions: anger, pride, will. Everything mingled in his soul, tempered by the difficulties he had been through since his unusual childhood.

He looked at the wounds of the monster, which couldn't stand up. Behind him the fire burned more intensely than elsewhere. The smoke was invading the air, making it more and more unbreathable. The smell of ashes and blood blended, unbearable. It reminded Sephiroth of the war, the one he had experienced firsthand, which he had experienced for himself in one of the darkest periods of him existence. He hated it.

He summoned all the strength he was capable of, every single ounce of his energy, he quickly thought about why he was fighting, remembered the faces of his friends, the scientist who raised him, the comrades lost in battle in the years. He knew that somehow they were all there with him, supporting him. He thought of Jenova, the devourer of worlds, and as much as he tried to repress that side of himself that he had inevitably inherited from her, he realized that he had to partially embrace it, accept it, in order to use it for good.

Then he let himself go to hatred, to pain. Everything came back to the surface, vivid and scary. He no longer felt his body as such, as if it had risen to a more spiritual than physical form. The limbs moved by themselves, led him to Hojo, allowed him to leap and, finally, to attack.

The Masamune shone with an intense purple light, the same one that for a moment crossed his clear irises. As he gritted his teeth and parted his lips, letting himself go to a low battle cry for perhaps the first time, he launched the first attacks. Two slashes that, like sound waves, reached their target by digging into its skin. The third slash aimed at the throat, the next at other weak points in the body. They were so fast and strong that the monster couldn't even defend itself, indeed, it didn't have the time to do it. The man's movements were so fast that many of them were even invisible.

Finally, the eighth shot came.

Sephiroth moved like a ghost, suddenly appearing in midair, his wing still unfurled and menacing even if dripping with blood. He grabbed the hilt of his trusty weapon with both hands. He brought it to him, his eyes sparkling with cold determination. They claimed victory, justice. And above all, the peace that belonged to him and to the people around him.

Finally, before the opponent could even notice his defeat, he moved the tip of the blade downward, and pierced the creature at heart level. He let the Masamune dig until it reached it, never retreating or giving up the action, and infused his energy into that final blow, so much so that the weapon shone more intensely and, this time, the glow enveloped them both, until they vanished in a white flash that swept through the Drum like a mighty tsunami.

The beast's scream echoed through the laboratory, upstairs. Then, the light went out. Darkness returned, and so did silence.

The battle had ended.

* * *

**Chapter 93**

**THE WAR IS OVER**

All that interrupted the silence was the sound of debris still falling or shifting, and the crackling of flames that flooded the area.

No more fireballs, or stone walls, no roaring creatures or wing flapping. It was all over, almost as if it never happened.

Sephiroth thought he couldn't catch his breath. His chest burned, his legs didn't give out just by sheer miracle. With his left hand he held the opposite arm, which he felt he could no longer move. He remained still, standing but with his legs and back bent, for a few moments. Then he tried to take a few steps forward.

One, two, then even three. He could walk, thankfully, but he felt he wasn't recovering at all. On the contrary, the more time passed, the more blood he lost from his wounds and the more he felt drained of all his strength. He didn't even feel the heat of the fire, replaced by a cold shiver that went through him entirely.

He had a sudden realization, and he thought that he had to do what he could while he was in time.

First of all, he looked for Rain with his gaze. The girl was still on the ground, she hadn't yet got up or opened her eyes, but her chest was moving with the rhythm of her breathing, and this calmed him. He wanted to reach out and help her, but she was too far and, of course, he preferred to make sure that the danger was averted before going to her.

A thick cloud had lifted over the debris, another reason he was out of breath. Fortunately, however, it dissipated quickly, until it allowed the feral eyes of the silver-haired man to see beyond it.

The Masamune was stuck in the ground, between stone and metal, as still as the famous sword in the stone he had read about as a young man in his books. Likewise, he knew that no one would ever get it out of there but himself. His weapon had been faithful to him even in that adventure, as in every difficulty faced in a lifetime.

Ahead, also lying on the ground, although with his chest facing the closed ceiling of the Drum, was Hojo.

No longer the monstrous creature from before: just a man who suddenly looked older and tired than ever. His coat was reduced to a tiny rag, a few pieces of cloth that covered him sporadically here and there, leaving him shaking. Probably he too couldn't feel the pungent heat of the flames that burned a step away from him.

Sephiroth kept an eye on him for a few seconds, surprised by that scene. He wondered why he had become human again, only to come to the rational explanation, correct or not, that Hojo had probably injected himself with just enough DNA to save his life in that fight. It was logical that he didn't want to deface himself forever, especially if that fluid had made him less brilliant and more aggressive. In this way he would've done nothing but damage himself, and above all deprive himself of the intellect he so loved to boast of, the well from which he drew for every experiment.

The expression on him became a more rancor when, as he lingered on his human body reduced to a pitiful heap of bones and flesh without strength, he noticed that the elderly scientist was still breathing.

It was then that he forgot to control his hatred or, rather, he chose to indulge in it.

He moved forward forgetting the pain for a while longer, dragging the battle-torn black wing with him until he reached the Masamune. With one hand he pulled it out, whirling it beside him and limping to his target.

He never knew what prompted him not to finish him immediately, once he reached him. He could've put an end to his life as a mad, cruel man with the speed of the blink of an eye, and instead he just stopped in front of him, gazed down at him, not even bending his head in his direction, as he tried to move, uselessly.

Hojo was badly injured. He probably would've died anyway, but that wasn't the end he deserved. The Masamune craved its prize.

«Sephiroth...» the scientist coughed, with a jet of blood on his chin, narrowing his eyes to better see the young man in front of him. He stood still on the ground, among the rubble, his arms wide and now completely inanimate, as well as his legs. He'd never move them again. He'd never get up from there.

«If you're going to beg for mercy,» hissed the other, in a voice that didn't even pay attention to his poor condition and wasn't cracked by anything but a deep hatred, «I suggest you save your breath for your last words.»

The man on the ground was shaken by another cough. Probably the smoke that had invaded the laboratory was finishing the work begun by Sephiroth and Rain. Despite that, he managed to grin, as he always did.

«I have no intention of begging.»

The younger man's eyebrows frowned. Until the end, that man remained a cruel and prideful being.

«If you finish me now, the only one to lose will be you. I have watched my experiment unfold, my theory prove correct... this victory is mine, as I have already said. But you?» regardless of the pain caused by such an obvious action, he laughed gravely and squinted. His small black eyes narrowed for a few seconds. «You remain at a disadvantage. How long have you been searching for the truth? Know that you will never find the answer to all your questions without me, my son.»

Sephiroth gripped the hilt of the katana and lifted it, opening his eyes wider.

«You have no right to call me that. As far as I'm concerned, I'll never consider you my father. So watch your tongue.»

«Right, you say? The blood that flows in your veins is the same that flows in mine. As much as you may not like the idea, this is the reality you will have to live with. Even if... judging by your condition... maybe it won't be a long sentence.»

If so, Hojo wasn't wrong. Sephiroth knew very well that he wasn't fine at all. Even if he tried to ignore his own current state, there was no doubt that he didn't have much hope.

«I should simply kill you...» he repeated to himself then, in a faint voice.

«Do it, if you care so much. But a part of you will also die with me. That past, those roots that live only in my mind, which you will never find in any archive or file.»

The ex-General was beginning to lose patience.

«You aren't in a position to make claims. If you really want to give me a valid reason not to finish you now...» he was silent for a moment, before reflecting. In fact, he had a lot of questions to ask him. Questions that only he could've answered. But time was running out, and it'd never allow him to ask them all. He therefore chose only one. «... start by telling me what became of my mother.»

Hojo's smile only widened.

«Jenova isn't here.»

«I'm not talking about Jenova. She... is not my real mother.»

«Are you referring to Professor Crescent? Ah, Lucrecia... don't think that woman is so different from me.»

«We'll see about this. Now answer me.»

«Do you want to know what happened to her after she gave birth to you?» he then resumed, «You must know that she was only your shell. She never cared about you, and consciously accepted the experiments that the science department proposed to her.»

Those words hurt the young super-SOLDIER more than he thought they could. For some reason, he harbored hope that his biological mother had somehow fought for him, to keep him with her, even if she hadn't been able to.

«It can't be that simple. There's still something you haven't told me.»

Hojo tried to nod, before his body stiffened from a series of coughs more violent than the others.

«During the pregnancy she started babbling about some visions. It almost seemed that she thought that her son could become a monster. I remain of the opinion that she was crazy because of the experiments. Then, when you were born, she started acting weird. It was a real pain in the neck. And then...»

He didn't finish the sentence, as if he had repented and had decided to end his speech just at that moment.

He was really testing the nerves of his son, who parted his lips, just as the pain of his wounds began to grow more insistent. He even had to bend his back, and focus on his breathing.

«What happened next? Speak.»

«I suppose you have to find out, Sephiroth. Whether I tell you or not, I know you won't leave me alive, so I won't give you this satisfaction.» revealed the elder, «You are my best result. You'll find a way to shed some light on the situation. Now... do what you have to do. As far as I'm concerned, I'll never die.»

The dark irises showed themselves again, pointing to those serpentines of his son.

«No… on the contrary, I will always live through you if you survive. I will be the shadow you cannot get rid of. And you...» he laughed softly, while that sick thought touched him, «... you will always remain a monster, it's your nature. The nature of Jenova. Your only life purpose is to be a weapon. To bring destruction. That's all you can do.»

Sephiroth felt a chill.

No... he wasn't a monster. He had fought not to become one, even after succumbing to the seduction of darkness. Hurting was simple, while fighting for what was right wasn't easy at all, but it was what he chose to do.

«... And your destiny is to hurt the people who care about you. I'll be there to admire the show when it happens.»

Rainiel, Zack, all those who believed in him and who had shown him affection or friendship. He had already hurt all of them, he had betrayed and disappointed them and for this he'd never forgive himself. Could Hojo be telling the truth? It was he who had raised him, after all, with his harsh methods and his oppression. Perhaps he had learned from him, while hating and despising him?

Maybe yes. Maybe the scientist was right. Maybe Sephiroth really only knew how to fight, destroy, kill. If that was his only goal, he'd achieve it by claiming one last victim.

He struggled to straighten his back and shoulders, stiffening his arms and legs. A flash of determination crossed his gaze.

«This is probably one trait that we have in common. Fortunately, this destruction won't last long.» he accepted fate, before lifting the Masamune on him, this time not as a simple warning. His expression since then became calmer and more peaceful, as if he no longer felt anything. While hating that father who lay at his feet, he didn't show him a spark of his resentment. He wouldn't have given him such satisfaction, too.

«Farewell, professor.» he murmured.

Hojo didn't even reply: talking was a real pain, and he had already said everything he wanted to say. So he closed his eyes, waiting for his end.

And it came quickly, even showing some compassion. The Masamune reached his heart and took his life without causing him further suffering. The Sephiroth of once probably would've tortured him so that he'd repay the debt of a lifetime. He'd take revenge on what Hojo had done to him, to Rainiel, and to so many other people. Instead, he just did what needed to be done.

When he pulled out the blade, noticing that his chest was no longer moving, that his eyes didn't open again, he felt nothing. This didn't make him feel any better. He had killed his father, after all. Maybe he really was a monster, but he had just eliminated another one. That was the only redemption he'd be entitled to, before he reached him.

He backed away, silently, and dropped the katana to the ground. It had served him well.

The weariness of all the battles he had experienced ended up converging on him in that one moment. He bared his teeth from an intense stab of pain, and when he pulled back the hand used to gird his hip, he noticed that his glove was stained entirely with blood.

He didn't know what to think of it all, but he certainly wasn't afraid. He knew he could do nothing more to save himself. That was his destiny, and he accepted it as he always had: with pride, but also acquiescence. Above all, with courage.

Turning his back to his father, who was now slowly returning to the planet, he took a few steps in the clearing free from fire, between the remains of the collapsed bridge and the destruction resulting from the desperate battle in which he had taken part. The fire burned around him, but it wouldn't spread throughout the Drum. On the contrary, surely someone would soon have noticed it and sent help to put out the flames. What a sad and horrible sight.

His thoughts flew to Zack and Cloud: he had known the former for a long time and more than once had thought he could honestly call him a close friend. He looked a lot like Angeal, his mentor. He had the same sense of duty and justice, even though he was less strict. Cloud was a young man he thought was very clever. He had a bright road ahead of him, whether he joined SOLDIER or not.

He hoped they didn't get mad at the lie he had told them. He had promised he'd meet them again when the battle was over, but now he knew he probably wouldn't see them again. On the one hand, it was better this way. Sephiroth wasn't a particularly emotional type, and didn't like goodbyes or tears, or desperate hugs.

He also thought about his goals: to find Jenova, and the scientist Lucrecia Crescent. Finding Angel and Genesis again, discovering the whole truth. He hadn't been able to do any of that, but there was no point in cultivating that regret right now.

The last person he turned his thoughts to, of course, was one in particular. His tired eyes searched her around.

Rain hadn't moved from where she'd fallen, perhaps unconscious or petrified with pain. Sephiroth wanted to reach her, heal her, he had thought that even before, but he knew that he wouldn't ucceed. Now that he had finished the mission they had set for themselves, his every energy had slowly slipped away from his body. That same body that was now struggling to hold up, that no longer seemed his. He could've defeated Hojo without getting hurt if he wanted to, but he had preferred to protect Rain at the cost of his own life. He didn't regret it at all. Had he gone back in time, he would've done it again.

So, he thought the least he could do was give her one last look. She was a capable, stubborn, but very fragile girl. She'd be able to get out of the Drum, but the loss of him would mark her. He hoped that Zack and Cloud would help her get over her grief, even if that would take a long time. More than anything else, he hoped that her life would become more pacific from now on. That she had the opportunity to live as free as she had wished, to forget the past, to be happy, even without him at her side.

He thought of the feeling of holding her in his arms, of their lips joining, or even just her voice, her laugh, her smile. He remembered the good times they had together, and the less happy ones too. Even though theirs had been a troubled story, he was glad he had spent all that time with her by his side.

That's why, in the last few seconds, he regretted not finding another way to stay with her. Causing her such suffering wasn't fair, but she'd get out of it. She was the strongest person he knew.

«Rainiel...» he whispered that name as a faint smile appeared on his face, before the cold enveloped him.

His vision grew dull until he saw nothing but darkness. He no longer felt any pain, just great tiredness.

He fell to his knees, even though he was now free. He had no masters, he was no longer anyone's faithful servant or guardian.

He breathed once more, before letting his arms fall to his sides. His wing did the same, before slowly fading away. The black feathers settled on the ground, like flowers in a vast meadow.

Finally, he let go. He closed his lids over his eyes, exhaled, and collapsed to the ground without any strength.

The war was over.

* * *

**Chapter 94**

**THE PRICE OF FREEDOM**

Rainiel slowly came to her senses. Even though her eyes were still tightly closed, she felt her head spin, and her throat burning from the smoke.

As soon as she was able to think clearly, she had the instinct to go back to fighting. There wasn't a single bone in her body that didn't ache from the blows, but she was convinced that the fight wasn't over and for this she gritted her teeth, bit her lip and forced herself to get up. Her Aikuchis had fallen somewhere else, so she raised her fists in front of her face, feeling the knuckles vibrate. She no longer felt any energy in her so, when she tried to use Yoshua's gift, it didn't answer her request. It seemed that she had already given her all in an attempt to protect her companion from the rain of flaming arrows, and in any case she didn't regret it.

What surprised her, however, was the absurd silence that had invaded the Drum. It seemed that everyone had fallen into a long sleep and that only she had awakened. Where had the others gone? Where was Hojo, transformed into a monstrous creature? And where was Sephiroth?

She advanced into the desolation of the place, carefully placing her feet over the rubble to keep the fragile, battered stone boulders from collapsing and injuring her, and she looked around, relaxing her muscles. How could, such a monster, suddenly vanish into thin air?

Besides, she had no idea. She had lost consciousness when Hojo knocked her out of the way. From that attack she still retained a very painful sensation in her ribs, which certainly would've taken a few days to heal completely... luckily, thanks to Yoshua's DNA her regeneration was faster, or convalescence would've took months!

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted someone on the ground and took a careful leap a step away from him. To her astonishment, she recognized the scientist who had caused that war.

Hojo had his eyes closed, his wrinkled face was relaxed and, who knows why, even satisfied... victorious, she would've dared to say. He was in very bad shape, especially because of the big wound in his chest. Rain bowed her head to check more closely and made sure, for good, that the man had indeed lost his life. So it was: his heart was no longer beating. The man who had condemned her and her mentor to a life of suffering had finally vanished, and upon closer inspection Rainiel could see that little green sparks were slowly surrounding him. He was returning to the planet, joining the Lifestream, a fate that perhaps he didn't deserve, but which followed the natural flow of things.

With Hojo, the battle of a lifetime also ended. It ended her captivity. This thought made Rain a smile, which widened more and more.

Soon, the girl began to laugh genuinely. She didn't think that moment would ever come, but finally her real life could begin.

She jumped on the spot, heedless of the pain, and she squinted for her happiness.

«We did it...» she murmured, not thinking she could feel such joy, not after everything she had been through. «... We did it! Sephiroth, we did it! Haha!» she raised her arm to the sky, calling out the name of her partner. She paced back and forth, looking everywhere for the man who had fought beside her.

«Sephiroth?» she called out loud, her voice still vibrating from laughter as she felt her chest because of the pain.

Where had he gone? He was there, just a moment ago. Had he gone away?

For a moment, she had a strange sensation. For some reason, she felt that something was wrong.

She watched the energy of the Lifestream forming near Hojo, and for some reason she found it was brighter than what she had observed in the past. She moved, curiously, and... it even seemed to point to something.

But it couldn't be like that, right?

Rain's laughter slowly died away. The girl felt a shiver go through her and, trying to keep that happy expression of hers, she spun around. It was then that her smile finally faded.

She hadn't seen him before, due to the rubble hiding him from her gaze, but the young silver-haired General was right there. He was lying on the ground, motionless, with his lips softly parted. He almost looked like he was sleeping.

But Rain knew that wasn't the case. In her heart, she knew he wasn't just getting a well-deserved rest after the fight.

«Sephiroth...» she whispered then, almost as if her voice had been stolen by some curse.

She walked forward again, this time ignoring the metal and rock that clogged the ground, nearly tripping over and over, slowly at first, but then she quickened her pace until she reached him and dropped to her knees right next to him. She held out her hands in front of her, but she didn't have the courage to touch him, at least not initially.

«No...» she opened her eyes wide and parted her lips, feeling a void in her chest that grew more and more, «No... it's not... it can't be like that... Sephiroth...»

Finally, she put her hands on one of his arms. The man was slumped on one of his side, but she managed to turn him with his chest towards the ceiling. She felt like he just didn't want to cooperate, she had helped him get up many times in battle, but this time he felt much heavier. And he didn't open his eyes.

Rain felt a chill run over her back. She got goosebumps from it. Trying to be gentle so as not to hurt him, she rested the silent man's head against her right arm.

«Sephiroth...? Hey, Sephiroth... Seph... wake up... can you hear me?»

Again, no response.

An ominous memory clouded the girl's mind.

_«Mom! Dad! Where are you? Answer me, please!»_

_Rain ran through the rubble caused by the landslide in the small town of Darefall, a peaceful village located at the foot of the mountain where the mako creature had been spotted._

_«Rainiel...»_

_«Mom, dad!» she kept calling them, asking them to answer, digging through the rocks with her bare hands._

_«Rainiel.»_

_She had ignored his voice, again, until he had grabbed her wrists and showed her the harm she was unnecessarily inflicting on herself._

_She knew it. She knew that continuing to hope was useless. That her parents wouldn't be returned to her._

She breathed heavily, suddenly. She felt the heaviness of the air, the weakness of her body. All her unbearable helplessness.

«No... not you too...»

She had lost her parents not long before. She didn't believe she'd ever be happy again, not after having lost her family, but someone had managed to help her, facing that hell with her, alongside her, despite everything.

«Not you...»

Could that be the price of freedom? If so, then it was way too steep.

«Seph...»

She didn't even feel the large and copious streams of tears that gushed from her eyes, wetting her lashes. She noticed she was crying only when she saw a drop of that crying run down the tight black jacket of the man she held in her arms. Only then did she really realize what had happened. She realized that this was reality. That it wasn't possible to go back.

«No!!!» she screamed at the top of her lungs, throwing her head back and directing her scream to a sky she couldn't see.

The flames around her grew higher, listening to her despair, feeding on her immense, infinite sadness.

She tried to look at Sephiroth again, but this only cost her more tears.

The warrior finally seemed relaxed. He had never had that expression before, not even in times of peace. It seemed the weight on his shoulders had finally slipped away. But that... that wasn't the right way to get rid of it.

His black lashes covered clear eyes that Rain had always found mysterious, but very intense. His wing was gone. A few black feathers surrounded him, wet with blood, like his clothes and his face.

Everything... to protect her.

«Why...?» Rain's voice trembled, «Why are you doing this to me?! Why can't we just be happy?»

She dropped her head, still keeping her eyes wide open and frowning at him.

She shivered. She couldn't accept it. She simply couldn't. She wasn't prepared for that possibility. She didn't, even for a second, think that the enemy would defeat him. The great hero Sephiroth, the General of SOLDIER, a first-class warrior... and why was he wounded? Just to defend her. She couldn't… there was no chance Rainiel could live with this burden the rest of her life, even now that she no longer wore the chains of captivity. Not even now that they were both finally free of the past.

«Why didn't it happen to me...?»

She bit her lips until they bled. Ignoring everything around her, she hugged the man to her, in a hug that he now couldn't feel.

Green sparks filled the air. It was that, the order of everything, as it should be. But it wasn't fair, not according to Rain. They couldn't just take him away. What sense would it have, without him?

Again, a dream of her had come true... but it remained empty. As it had been to get to first class, but without him. Likewise, living free wasn't something she wanted if in doing so she'd lose her mentor. The man who, in her heart, she knew she loved more than anything else in the world.

«I'm sorry...» she asked for forgiveness, in a whisper, sinking her face into his hair, pressing her lips against his forehead, «I'm sorry... I wasn't even able to protect you... I wasn't able to embrace my dreams...»

Because that wasn't a dream. Instead, it was a terrible nightmare from which she hoped she could awaken. Even worse, it was the truth, without veils, in its pure state. It was the world: unfair, dangerous. It was destiny.

And now she had lost him too.

Rainiel narrowed her eyes, hoping she could die in his arms as well, refusing to go on. Refusing to let it go. She'd fight everything.

Yes... she would've defied the truth. The world, and also destiny. As she had challenged Yoshua, she would've had the courage to wield her swords, or even just her grit, against anyone and anything, just to get him back. She was ready to swear it.

«Sephiroth...»

She said his name one last time, between the sobs, tightening her fingers around the fabric of his jacket.

That silence was killing her.

That price to pay... she just couldn't afford it.

She lowered her lashes on the irises, not wanting to see his life energy return to the planet. She would've snatched it from the Lifestream too, she really wanted to do it...

She watched the darkness hiding in her eyes, in her soul. That loneliness was what she most feared in the world.

It was all more chaotic, more difficult to deal with, it tore down her body and mind. She knew she could no longer fight those difficulties.

For a moment, she felt the touch of the man's hand on her shoulder as if it were an affectionate pat. It was only an illusion of her mind, but it was like holding the last grains of a heap of sand that slips away, falling into the immense desert.

She saw a not much younger Rainiel, but certainly more naive and therefore serene, running to reach the calm teacher to start the next training, to show him what she was able to do. And she saw the proud smile of that same teacher... the one she had dreamed of seeing for all her life.

Everything... just and simply a dream. An utopia dissolved in the wind.

It went back to being nothing but dark.

Nothing but her, lost in the loneliness of her own thoughts, in the void that by now had become her spirit, the total and deafening nothing. No light of hope. As long as...

A light, in fact, appeared.

A faint, almost extinguished reddish light. But this time it wasn't an illusion.


	29. Hope / The Unknown Materia / Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINAL CHAPTER!
> 
> Just when all seems lost, the appearance of a mysterious materia brings with it a miracle. Now that the war against Hojo is over, what will Rainiel, Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud decide to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes:  
> • Chapter 95: Hope  
> • Chapter 96: The Unknown Materia  
> • Chapter 97: Promise

* * *

**Chapter 95**

**HOPE**

Rainiel gasped, and opened her eyes, clutching Sephiroth and placing one shoulder forward as if to protect his body from a new threat, terrified that someone might snatch him from her arms. And then she saw it.

A small reddish sphere, born of blood. A small pool of blood. The one of Rainiel's wounds, on the ground, had joined with that of Sephiroth, their suffering amalgamated into one. And their pain had given birth to that bright little core... it almost felt like a beating heart, a promise, a tiny flame of hope.

Rain decided to try to catch it. If she really couldn't do anything else, if there really was nothing to be done, trying that wouldn't cost her anything more. Losing her life in turn? She didn't care. Nothing mattered to her now.

She had seen that sphere before. It seemed to be a materia, but it was unlike any other. It had been generated, only once, when the same situation was created, albeit in a less critical way, in the simulator only a few months before, during a training. At the time, the materia had been shattered within seconds.

This, however, remained solid in her hands, as if ready to be used.

An idea touched Rain, which swallowed her tears quickly and looked at Sephiroth again.

What could she do for him, if not at least that attempt? She hadn't been able to thank him, she hadn't been able to say goodbye, or be happy and free with him. Perhaps, in that way, she'd at least partially repair that damage.

She slowly lowered the ex-General to the ground, watching that blissful expression on him. She had never quite realized how much he, in fact, looked like an angel.

She brushed a tuft from his face, taking care of him until the last second.

Then she squeezed the reddish materia in her hands, which she placed against his chest, a second before hiding her face in her own arms, closing her eyes waiting for something to actually happen.

Silence. Nothing but silence for a series of endless seconds, interrupted only by the young woman's sobs.

She prayed. She prayed to the Goddess, the Planet, the Fate. She prayed that something would actually happen.

Then, all of a sudden, the chest against which she had pressed her arms and forehead shuddered. Rain heard a labored breath, a quick cough.

She stood up abruptly, her eyes wide open and her eyebrows bent upward, feeling that her own heart had skipped a beat... but that another had begun to beat again, with its usual strength.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes as his body tensed and then relaxed again, and his long lashes slowly lifted, as if he had awakened from a dream that hadn't allowed him to rest.

The sparks from the Lifestream dissipated, vanishing as they appeared.

The young man's irises turned red for a moment, shining with the same blood light as the materia Rain had used on him, despite having no idea what might be happening.

When the red light left his eyes, it passed completely through him and Rainiel watched, speechless, as the wounds closed, though not completely, as its glow passed.

When at last Sephiroth was able to reopen his eyes and catch his breath properly, he first looked at the dark ceiling of the Drum, illuminated by the warm reflection of the fire, and then fixed his eyes, again of their typical green shade, on those large and bluish that were watching him, amazed.

«Rain...?» he barely whispered.

He felt strange, more tired than ever. Not because of the battle... he remembered it perfectly, but he no longer felt the sting of his wounds as it had happened a few minutes before, it seemed instead that he had walked an endless path, which led who knows where. When he looked into the girl's eyes, however, he knew he had come home.

Those eyes of her, which filled with tears once again, and took on an air of incredulousness and deep gratitude.

Rain wasted no more time. She threw herself on him, encircling his shoulders and sinking her face into the hollow of his neck, squeezing him with no intention of letting go. She also fell on the ground, on top of him. She didn't even think about the stinging pain in her ribs that took her breath away. She couldn't care less.

Sephiroth winced, not yet fully recovered.

«Ouch.» he let out a very brief moan, even a little joking, before returning the hug.

He still didn't understand why Rainiel was pouring all of her tears there, against the collar of his uniform, but he wasn't going to let her sob without any comfort.

«Rain... what happened?» he then asked for an explanation.

She raised her face slightly.

«I had a nightmare... the worst of my life.» she only said.

This tore a small smile from the man. He knew it was a metaphor, but he answered anyway.

«Let a nightmare scare you... a SOLDIER first-class like you...» he teased her, before bending his neck a little and lifting the girl's chin gently, with an index finger.

The answer came by itself, Sephiroth had already understood everything.

«You saved me, didn't you?»

Rainiel grabbed his hand and rested his palm on her cheek. Her tears wet the warrior's fingers.

«You are the one who saved me. I... I don't even know how to thank you. But I was so afraid... I thought I had lost you...»

In a way, she really had. Sephiroth was sure he had lost his life that day, but Rain had been able to use her power, or rather the union of both of their powers, to save that last glimmer of life left in him.

He gently stroked her hair, to reassure her.

«It's all over. We won. Together.» he rested his head on the floor again, breathing a sigh of relief. «We should go back to the others. Let's get out of here, and then...»

«Wait…» Rain pressed her face back against his skin, startled. She was shaking, and not from the cold, even though she was clearly shivering. «... Let's stay here. Just for a few more minutes. I'm so tired...»

Sephiroth knew that her request wasn't a childish whim, but a well-founded small favor. He too was terribly tired. The fire was slowly receding, all threat was averted, and no one would come for a while longer. He could afford to accept.

He closed his eyes, unable to not indulge in a weak smile, waiting for Rain's tears to let go and her spirit to calm down.

He'd remain beside her, in that moment... and in the life that now awaited them, even though he still had many outstanding issues to resolve.

* * *

**Chapter 96**

**THE UNKNOWN MATERIA**

That was the last time Rainiel and her companions set foot in the Shinra Building. Without Hojo in command of the science department, perhaps, they would've led a life of freedom, but they remained deserters anyway, and so staying around the headquarters was anything but a good idea.

Rain and Sephiroth left the Drum after taking a few minutes of peace, in silence, side by side. Then they reunited with their friends, and Zack, who had finally freed himself from the metal prison of the laboratory thanks to the help of Cloud, threw his arms around their necks and expressed all his affection, even to the reckless ex-General. After all, he was a close friend of him.

It wasn't the time to get lost in chatter or to tell the deeds of the heroes who had managed to defeat the enemy, because staying there was too risky. They then chose to set off the fire alarm, to prevent it from spreading and causing casualties, just before fleeing, vanishing into the shadows as silent as they had appeared.

Finally, they found themselves at the foot of the plate. On the horizon, beyond the arid expanses and the mountains, the dawn was rising, promise of hope. A new day was beginning, with its thousand emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, courage... and who knows how many adventures.

Having nowhere to go, the unusual team took temporary refuge in the Oasis, at least for a day and a night, mostly because it wasn't currently under control and, without Hojo at the head of the science department, it wouldn't have been for quite a while.

Zack had been clear about it: that morning and afternoon would be full of rest and healing... but that night was imperative that they celebrate the great victory. He got the right ingredients from the slums and, when he got back, he organised a dinner worth of a king that'd put them back together. His was a surprising talent: Rain had no idea that he knew how to cook, yet he proved to be, in addition to a very good warrior, also an excellent cook.

As evening fell, the Oasis became a completely different world: laughter echoed in the halls, and countless stories were told about what had happened the previous night.

When it was Rain's turn to tell the truth about what had happened between her, Sephiroth and Hojo, a detailed description of the events was enough to keep Zack and Cloud's eyes and attention fixed on the singular story.

«A materia, did you say?» the black-haired young man felt dizzy, and not from the drinks he'd been indulging in so far.

Rain bent her face and looked at the empty chair beside her. Sephiroth had got up a few minutes earlier, walking away with the excuse that he needed some fresh air. Telling that story, therefore, was her job.

She looked back at Zack and Cloud, taking turns. They both looked equally surprised.

«I don't know how to define it, otherwise.» she then revealed, «It was a small reddish materia, the same color as blood. I don't know what its name is, but...»

Memories flew away, to the moments before Yoshua's assimilation, of which she had already spoken with them, arousing their concern but also great wonder.

«... I had a vision. In fact, I'd say that more than that I remembered a speech heard as a newborn that Yoshua brought back to my mind.»

She reached out and raised two fingers to indicate the two directly concerned.

«Hojo called it "unknown materia". It has a double function, but if it doesn't act in direct contact with one of the two alien creatures from which it originates, it crumbles and becomes totally unusable. Sephiroth and I talked about it this afternoon, we even tried to recreate it but, as I thought...»

She lowered a finger, placing her hand on the table and squinting her eyes.

«The materia was shattered at the slightest contact and had no effect. Mine is just a guess, but I have a little theory. What I noticed is that, after using the unknown materia on Sephiroth, the energy of Yoshua present in me flowed into him and literally brought him back to life. But Yoshua's gift was affected...»

She tried to make a flower grow from the wooden table around which they were clustered, but it withered quickly. Both because she was exhausted from the fight and the exaggerated use of it, and because something strange had happened in her.

«You can't use your power anymore?» Cloud asked, stiffening as Zack put his arm around his shoulders, shaking him to express his disbelief.

«I can still, but I seem to be back where I started. I know that even as I recover over the months, I'll no longer have that level of energy that Yoshua gave me. Even though he still lives in me. And, of course, I can no longer apply this power to the materia born of blood. Basically, I've sacrificed Yoshua's gift to save Sephiroth, and now I just have my small percentage left. So a question arises spontaneously...»

As if she were telling a ghost story, she lowered her voice and motioned for the two to come over to hear her.

«If Yoshua has the power to give life, and if the unknown materia assumed this power when it came into contact with him... what would happen if it were infused with Jenova's destructive power?»

The two boys shivered.

«I hope we never have to ask ourselves this question...» Zack looked away, stamping his feet on the ground to release the tension.

He wasn't entirely wrong, Rainiel thought as she leaned more comfortably back in her chair, but for some reason she knew that question would stay vivid in her mind, at least for a while.

«What matters is that we're all fine. I don't care about Yoshua's gift.» the girl sighed then, closing her eyes and enjoying that peace.

It still didn't feel real. She was convinced that she'd live her life as a prisoner of her past, yet... there she was, with her new family, happy and ready for the adventures that awaited them on the horizon.

«I agree with you. Now Hojo and his experiments are only a memory, while we're all here celebrating the victory.» Zack sighed, rubbing his stomach, filled with delicacies.

All... Rainiel worried about that thought. She actually would've liked to see Jadin again, whom she hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to before fleeing Midgar, and also to reconcile with the Turk Vaneja, who obviously hadn't been waiting for them outside the laboratory to chat. If nothing else, they too were now in less danger.

Soon after, the black-haired SOLDIER looked around him, pursing his lips.

«By the way, what's up with Sephiroth?» he asked, confused.

«He went out a little while ago. Haven't you noticed?» Cloud replied, more attentive than him.

«Yes, but he's been gone for quite a while.»

An idea seemed to tease him, so he raised and lowered his eyebrows as he looked directly at the girl sitting across the table.

«"Someone" should go find him. Who knows that he didn't come up with it so that he could be alone with you?» he insinuated.

Cloud choked on the bite of dessert he was trying to swallow.

Rain, on the other hand, laughed without getting upset about his joke. What was the point in denying her feelings? By now it was clear to everyone that the relationship between her and the ex-General was no longer limited to the roles of mentor and pupil.

Plus, she was glad that Zack and Cloud trusted Sephiroth as before, if not more so. It seemed that even that problem had been resolved, at least for the two of them.

When she finished laughing, Rainiel took a deep breath and got up from the table, pushing herself with her palms.

«You're embarrassing, but I can't get mad at you anymore.» she gave him credit, before gently shaking a hand as she walked away. "«I'll be right back.» she exclaimed then, leaving the room.

While Zack and Cloud went back to talking about this and that and commenting, in particular, the final fight of which they had been informed, the girl crossed the halls of the large villa, now illuminated and cleaned, until she found herself at the entrance.

Spending some time alone with Sephiroth, however, was something she didn't mind at all.

* * *

**Chapter 97**

**PROMISE**

Rain opened the doors of the villa, going out on the great staircase that led to the street surrounded by the lawn, the only green spot in that great arid expanse. A light breeze tickled her skin, colder than usual. After all, autumn was upon them and the cold months were about to bring a near-static calm to Midgar and the surrounding territories. However, she didn't mind. Having lived in a small village in the mountains, the low temperatures had never bothered her and she had always preferred winter to summer.

She took a second to breathe in that pure air, finally away from the smog and chaos of the platform, before closing the door behind her and looking around her.

It took her little time to find Sephiroth: the man had stopped at a point of the short road just in front of the entrance, his arms soft at his sides and his face up. The light breeze gently shook his long silver hair, shining with the same color of the moonlight, and the edges of his long leather uniform.

Letting out a slightly tired smile, Rainiel calmly went down the stairs, sure that he had already sensed her presence, and reached him at a moderate pace, joining him and raising her face in turn to the night sky.

The glow of the constellations was faint in the darkness of the universe, but still visible, almost magical. All those stars gathered in a single, infinite embrace... that show had something poetic about it.

Noting Sephiroth's gaze immersed in contemplation of that scene, as well as in deep thoughts, she glanced at him and spoke quietly.

«I thought you didn't like looking at the sky.»

«I've never paid much attention to it,» he replied without waiting, «but, thanks to someone, I've learned that it doesn't hurt to take the time to observe it from time to time.»

The woman dropped her lids over her eyes, sighing with satisfaction. She knew she had taught her own mentor something, and didn't mind at all.

She returned to admire the landscape shortly after, hugging herself in her arms, almost believing she was dreaming.

«Well… it's really all so peaceful. I'm not used to it.» she commented, even with a hint of irony in her voice, «We're... free, huh?»

Even he gave a fleeting expression of happiness.

«Yes, I guess so.»

«How does all this make you feel?» she asked again, observing him from below, but no longer noticing their difference in height. «You know, it's weird not having something to fight for anymore. I'm afraid I don't know what the dawn of tomorrow will bring.»

«You can never know. But one thing is certain: there's always something to fight for in this world.» he sighed, before turning in her direction.

For some reason, he looked distressed. The solitude he'd been looking for clearly had a reason, even if he didn't mind Rainiel's company. Only... he hadn't yet found peace, although they had achieved their goal and could now live free from that weight that had been on their shoulders for years.

«How do I feel?» he repeated then, remembering her first question, one he had never asked himself. He didn't believe anyone would ever care to know how a weapon like him felt. No one had ever asked him, after all. «I feel like I've solved only one of the many problems that make me think. I'm not satisfied yet.»

Rainiel noticed the melancholy in his voice and, instinctively, approached him and touched his arm, to comfort him. She knew what he meant by those words.

«You... still don't feel completely free, do you?» she asked him, but there was no need to wait for an answer. In fact, she lowered her head, pursing her lips and then continuing. «I understand that, and I can't blame you. There's still so much to be done.»

Sephiroth slowly ran a hand through her hair, in a lock that framed her face. He didn't speak, but Rain could imagine what he was feeling right now.

Not indulging in hatred had been difficult. Forgiveness and giving oneself an opportunity for peace and joy would've been even more so. It wasn't something he could do in a short time.

«You...»

The girl tried to speak, but she had to clear her throat slowly and frown for a moment before she could formulate the next question.

«You're not going to stay with us, are you?»

The General's hand moved away from Rain's face to reach down and rest on one of her arms.

He puffed out his chest for a deeper breath as he prepared to speak to her. He didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't ignore how he really felt either.

«I need many more answers. I've so many unfinished business...» he revealed, not without some difficulty, «.... Jenova, my mother, Angeal and Genesis... and myself.» he then listed, «I found that I don't know much about any of these things. And I know well that I won't give myself peace, not until I'll reconcile with myself. I just can't burden you with the task of helping me again.»

Rain moved closer to him, raising her face to look at him, suddenly sadder.

«Helping you has never been a burden to me. You know that if you need it, you'll always find me here.»

«I know. I know it very well.» he continued, more serious, before touching her cheek with his free hand. «But it's something I have to do alone. First of all, I'll take care of deleting the remaining R-Copies, after which I'll take the time I need to make room in my thoughts.»

Rain nodded, accepting his decision, but it was inevitable that she'd be saddened. She had waited so long, to be happy by his side... but she knew she had to wait a little longer.

«Rainiel...»

Sephiroth drew her attention, without being abrupt. On the contrary, perhaps his voice had never been so soft and gentle. It was clear that he was very keen to make her understand the most important thing.

«I want to be with you. I want it more than anything else.» he announced without fear or embarrassment, «But I cannot expect to make you happy if I'm not even able to live at peace with myself. I want you to understand this.»

His words reached the woman's heart like an arrow. They didn't bring pain or sadness... just the truth. What he had just said about her was very important to her, that knew she was now deeply and totally in love with him, despite everything that had happened, despite the pain they both had to go through.

«I want to make you a promise. One that this time I intend to keep at any cost.» he explained as he brought his face close to hers.

She bit her lip before answering.

«What promise?» she asked.

«When I get back, you won't have to worry about losing me.» he swore, «I'll stay with you and be a better person. Thanks to you... I know that there is a man, a human, besides the monster that lives in me. And I know that only I can decide whether to make one or the other prevail.»

Rainiel smiled.

«You've finally understood your own teaching.» she said softly, «I'm happy with that. That's why I won't try to change your mind. You know... I'd never force you to do anything you really don't want. I'll accept any of your decisions.»

Sephiroth opened his eyes a little wider, intrigued.

«Do you trust me, then?»

«I've always trusted you. And I always will.» she replied without even having to think about it, «I know you'll come back to me. I know I'll always find you, no matter how many obstacles separate us.»

Their bond, they both knew, had united them from birth. From the moment a silver-haired boy had held a baby in a cold Midgar laboratory. From the moment their blood first generated that unknown materia that had the power to bring life or destruction. That bond... that would've lived on with them, to the end and beyond.

«I want what you want. I want you to go, find the answers you need, take your time to forgive yourself, even if I've already forgiven you, and I'll always be ready to welcome you when you return, no matter how long it takes.» she then exclaimed boldly, looking directly at him without trembling or feeling embarrassed.

He was impressed. After all, when did Rain ever stop surprising him? It was the thing about her he liked the most. The one that convinced him to approach her before anything else.

«I won't be away for long. I assure you... you won't even notice.»

In a few seconds, the man brought his hands to her back, holding her against him without any insistence, but in the right way to make her understand how much, after all, he needed her and to make her understand what, that bond between them, was important for him too.

The girl felt her heart beat faster. Although it wasn't the first time she had found herself so close to him, the emotions that the mere presence of him aroused always seemed new and more powerful than ever.

«Close your eyes.» he asked her in a whisper.

Rain took a moment to observe his bright irises in the dark of the night, every detail of his face, his hair, his clothes. She knew that once she did as he asked, she wouldn't see him again for a time she couldn't calculate. Whether short or long, the wait would be heartbreaking. But she'd accept it, because she cared about him and she wanted him to be happy, to find the peace he hoped for. That's why she tried to imprint every single detail of him in her memories even though, she told herself... Sephiroth would never be just a memory.

And so she closed her eyes, not feeling the need to cry. On the contrary, she felt a strange and faint joy, because she knew she was doing the right thing. For him, for both of them.

When she was shrouded in darkness, she felt the man's lips look for hers, first brushing them and finally, while his arms encircled her back and her hips, kissing her with passion and sweetness in equal measure. It hardly looked like him, but at the same time she wouldn't have expected anything different.

She thought it was a brief moment, not enough in terms of time, but that kiss lasted for long seconds, to seal the promise he had just uttered.

Rain hugged him tightly, squeezing her eyelids tighter and breathing on his skin, lifting herself up on her toes to reach him.

One part of her didn't want to let him go, but the other part reminded her that doing so would only put him in a cage. She'd be no different from the other people who had held him captive for a lifetime. She couldn't do that to him. And most importantly, she didn't want to.

So, when the kiss broke off, slowly, and he backed away, she kept her eyes closed and bit her lip, still feeling the impression of that contact just ended.

A barely hinted whisper vibrated in the cold night air.

«Thank you... Rain.»

After that, the touch on her body vanished. She heard nothing but a quick rustle, a small breeze that moved her hair.

When she opened her eyes a few seconds later, she was alone.

A single black feather fell from the sky, and she reached out a hand. It rested on her open palm, and she looked at it, with a faint smile on her face, before pressing it to her chest.

She lifted her face to the sky, one last time.

The universe returned that gaze, with its marvelous light, its myriads of stars that kept the promise just accepted. At that moment, her heart calmed down, and with it her mind.

She knew she'd be able to wait. It wasn't going to be easy, but ease wasn't something she valued.

She was a SOLDIER. A hero. Simply Rainiel. And challenges were her bread and butter.

Shortly thereafter, the door to the mansion opened again, and Zack walked out of the building with his hands on his hips, reaching for her.

«Well... it surely took you a long time.» he joked, in a slight snort, «So? Isn't Sephiroth here?»

Rainiel took another look at the black feather she was holding, and her friend could see it too, realizing what had just happened.

«Not anymore. He made the right decision, but he'll be back.» she replied then.

Zack gave a small smile before shaking his head and breathing a sigh.

«Ah, that man...» he spoke to himself, before placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. «He may be a big head, but I don't doubt that he'll come back to us. Above all, to you.»

«Yeah...» she confirmed, before giving him a smile.

With him and Cloud, of course, she wouldn't be alone during that time. Although then a question spontaneously arose.

«Zack...» she called him, «Where will you go know?»

He shrugged.

«I was thinking about it just now. I imagine Cloud will be returning to Nibelheim, but I'd rather stick around. You know, in sector 5 lives a person dear to me. I'd like to be with her now that the conflict has been resolved.» he explained.

Rainiel nodded understandingly. How to blame him? In the end they both experienced the same situation. They wanted to be with those they loved most. And she? She'd find another place, she was sure of it.

But then Zack gave her a friendly pat, and winked at her.

«I was thinking you could come with me. Of course, peaceful life doesn't suit us... but I've no intention of leaving you alone right now.»

Rain felt her eyes tingle and lowered her arms, moved.

«Really...? Wouldn't that be a problem?»

She had nowhere to go. Not a home or a family to return to. But maybe she had just found a new one.

«A problem? Are you kidding?» he laughed, «Don't be silly. Also, I'm sure you'll be fine. I bet you and Aerith will get along very well. So? What do you think about it?»

Aerith... who knew what kind of girl she was. But knowing Zack, he wasn't lying. Rain could really be part of that big family.

«I think… that's a great idea. Thank you.»

He replied with a smile, after which he invited her to return inside the villa. Cloud was expecting both of them. That night they'd finish celebrating the victory and then, finally, a new life would begin for all of them.

Not always an easy one, perhaps, as it'd bring new adventures, but that didn't scare Rain.

No... she was ready for anything. She was no longer alone. She was no longer just a pawn in the hands of a mad man. She now she was the hero she had always dreamed of being, and she had people by her side. As far or near as they were, her heart would never abandon them.

She then looked away from the sky, from its deep blue color, and realized she had finally found a spark of what she knew she could call... happiness.

**• [ THE END ] •**

**_Author's notes below !_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings to all and a heartfelt thanks to anyone who has read the story so far. Thank you so much for following Rainiel's adventures and for helping me with your impressions of my first FFVII themed fanfiction. The story was quite successful on both the Italian and English sites, and reading your comments made me really happy.  
> Of course the adventures of our protagonist do not end here, even if "Project Rainiel" has come to a conclusion. I decided to prepare a sequel, because I still have many ideas to put into practice and because writing this fic makes me happy, and I hope it can do the same with you. I don't know yet when I'll publish the sequel, but I'll keep you informed: not being able to publish any announcements here, I invite anyone interested to follow my profile on Tumblr, "Zaelit's Blog" or simply Zaelit, where, even if I write only in English there, I post updates about the publication of the chapters and also some fanart or drawings that I create from time to time.  
> I wish everyone a good day or good night, and above all a lot of happiness. I hope to receive more of your impressions of this story and the next one in the future. Hugs to all!

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Hello! I'd like to make a premise to welcome new readers and introduce my first ever Final Fantasy VII fanfiction. As I have been advised to do, I find it right to warn all readers and interested people about some factors of the story, so as not to create misunderstandings while reading. "Project Rainiel" is temporarily placed in the period preceding and contemporary to the events of Crisis Core, but is very different from the main story. This choice is due to the fact that I have only recently approached the world of FF7, after playing exclusively the Remake of the game (which as many already know, is only a first episode and does not tell the whole story). I thought I had to wait before writing the fanfiction, in order to inform me over time about the entire plot of the video game, but I understood almost immediately that I'd have to wait for years to do so, so I put the idea aside and decided to inform by watching the gameplay of Crisis Core and the movie Advent Children. I decided that to avoid mistakes I'd change many parts of the story to fit my idea, so if you notice elements different from the original plot (in addition to the presence of OCs) you know that it is all due to my choice. If, however, you want to make observations or corrections in this regard, I always welcome any advice and constructive criticism with great pleasure! I also wanted to say that I preferred to create overall short chapters (around 1000 words each) but very numerous to better distribute the publication over time, so the first parts are only introductory and will be, so to speak, a premise.  
> I conclude by apologizing for the lousy explanation - which, however, I consider quite necessary - and wishing you a good read. I hope that the story will interest you and that you want to leave some reviews to tell me about your impressions. Bye!


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